Man City charges LIVE: Settlement talks with Premier League before punishments agreed

Man City charges LIVE: Settlement talks with Premier League before punishments agreed Manchester City are back in Premier League action for the first time since the club were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules Hello and welcome to The Mirror's live blog on Saturday, October 10, as Premier League action returns following the extended international break. Manchester City are set to return to the pitch for the first time since being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules. The club have already launched an appeal after an Independent Commission found them guilty of 114 out of 115 charges relating to the period between 2009-10 and 2017-18. The allegations include claims that more than £830million in owner funding was used to inflate the club’s revenues through so-called 'sham' agreements. Speculation continues to mount over the potential sanctions City could face, with possible punishments ranging from a substantial fine and points deduction to the prospect of expulsion from the Premier League. Manager Enzo Maresca has since addressed the media for the first time following the verdict, insisting he has 'complete trust' in the club as attention turns to their return to competitive action. "Personally, I'm very calm to be honest," said Maresca. "The club has been quite clear. We trust completely the club. "We understand the noise, but the focus for us is just what we can control and we can control just the football side." City will face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday with a scheduled kick-off for 4:30pm. Stay with us for the latest football news, updates and developments surrounding City's charges. Good night That's all from us this evening, but we'll be back tomorrow when Manchester City take to the pitch for the first time since their guilty verdict. Of course it's a trip to Anfield that awaits. It's going to be a frosty reception. Man City injury blow In addition to a nasty atmosphere against Liverpool, Manchester City have been hit by an injury blow as they take to the pitch for the first time since being found guilty of breaching financial rules. Nico O'Reilly reportedly missed training on Friday. O'Reilly picked up an injury on England duty during the international break and is said to have been completing work in the gym. City charges wait 'difficulty' Speaking ahead of this weekend, David Moyes said it was frustrating that Everton had been docked points and paid fines when Manchester City had yet to be punished despite their indiscretions occurring much earlier. "I wasn't here when it was difficult for Everton, when things were bad," he said. "Looking at it now from where I am sitting, it looks terrible that we have been docked points and paid some fines, and not that long ago. "There are other things that have been going on, nearly 10 years ago, that have not been dealt with. I find that really difficult." Merson's impassioned City comment Paul Merson gave a passionate criticism of Manchester City ahead of this weekend's matches. "Ask yourself one question. Would Manchester City have won the Premier League if they didn't do what they were doing? Absolutely no chance. "Because they would have been so far behind everyone else because of the revenue and the PSR, they would have been left behind. What they did made them win the league. Because of them upstairs they've won the league."They just put all the best players together. They had two best players in every position. They've dominated. Teams would go there petrified, they would beat teams five, six, seven. They would destroy teams. It was embarrasing. Teams would go there and get their stomach's tickled for a 2-0."If it wasn't for upstairs, they wouldn't have been able to do it. I'd have a sour taste in my mouth. It's moments, it's not about medals. You've taken away moments. You've taken it away from other people by doing that." Business as usual Manchester City are focused on winning games, according to Erling Haaland, ahead of their match against Liverpool tomorrow. Speaking to Sky Sports to preview the match, he was focused on the team getting settled after a summer of change, and said there was no time to take their foot off the gas. "There's plenty of new players and there are players we need to give time to, even though in football you don't really get time, do you?" he said. "So, people have to come straight in, perform. There are players that know the league and everything and a new manager as well is always different. "But we have to help each other and we have to try to, in the end, just win games." Not everyone is furious with City In some corners, there is sympathy for Manchester City's situation, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein. Although a number of clubs feel cheated, there is said to be recognition from others that City are a trading partner and there is some understanding. My feeling is that if there's a heavy verdict, which has already been delivered, you would imagine there will be a heavy sanction sought by the independent commission.It's not my view, it's not my opinion, and Manchester City will try to avoid that if indeed they are found guilty at the end of their appeal.In terms of other clubs, there is a whole spectrum of reactions. Some feel wronged, that they were cheated over many years out of titles, out of bonuses, out of revenue, and they want the harshest of punishments, whether that be expulsion or points deductions, transfer bans, fines and so on.Others are more sympathetic and understanding, they value Manchester City, whether it be as a member of the Premier League, as a trading partner who they have had big dealings with in the market.Manchester City have signed players off them for huge amounts of money, they've given them players, given them staff members and executives who are all over English football.There is an emotional reaction, there are clubs that will look to take legal action, individuals that will look to take legal action, but none of that is possible until the end of the process. Ait-Nouri exit There's no suggestion that this is related to Manchester City's situation, but Rayan Ait-Nouri has changed his agent with a view to leaving the club in the future. DZ Foot claim the Algerian has done so to take control of his future having previously been represented by Jorge Mendes and then CAA Stellar. Ait-Nouri is now with the Ali Barat-led Epic Sports with his future uncertain. The 25-year-old has only made 12 Premier League starts for City since joining from Wolves last summer, with Nico O'Reilly and Josko Gvardiol among those preferred to him. Biggest thing to happen to the Premier League Alan Shearer believes the Manchester City case is the biggest thing to happen to the Premier League and that it now must be resolved quickly as the division looks to maintain its credibility. Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Such a bad look that we're still having to wait for the consequences. The longer it goes on, it's not a good look for the Premier League or football in general. "This is the biggest thing to happen to the Premier League since it started in 1992. That's how big it is. Credibility matters. "They're about to find out the anger from every other club, starting from tomorrow. It's probably unfair on these players that they're having to answer on this because it's not their fault. "They're about to find out what everybody feels about it, starting at Anfield, and that's why it needs sorting out now. They've spent a fortune in the summer, they're sitting top of the league, they've won every game. "That could still be the case in two, three or four months. They could end up winning the league. That's why it needs sorting out now. It's such a bad look if it is allowed to fester." United dig Manchester United's fans are well prepared for a dig at Manchester City and confirmed exactly what they think of their rivals' success after the guilty verdict. Joe Cole criticised Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has faced criticism for his comments surrounding Manchester City's charges. He was handed the microphone for TNT Sports' coverage in the first Premier League match since the guilty verdict for the 115 charges. He said: "You have to start asking what the regulations are there for. The government wanted to keep the clubs playing on a level playing field, and Man City should be punished if they're guilty, but it's still up in the air. "The regulations that are in place are not doing the job they're supposed to do. "If you want to buy a football club in this country, like Roman [Abramovich] did with Chelsea. Now, for other clubs, it's not fair - for the likes of Newcastle, it's not fair. "There are levels of cheating. There's drug doping and cheating with referees. But this also distorts it the other way. Man City need to be punished, but the only pure thing about football is what happens on the pitch. "For me, what they achieved is not tainted. It's not right to class it in the same way as match fixing. That is the pits. We need to change the rules and regulations for other teams to grow. I don't think they should be punished retrospectively." One X user described it as "shambolic". Another said: "You would expect that TNT’s production team have spent the last fortnight since the verdict meticulously weighing up how they would cover the City story. And then Joe Cole comes in with a wrecking ball like this. Why is he trying to mitigate the scale of their cheating?" Mikel Arteta leaves more questions than answers with deafening Man City silence Sadly, we were left with more questions than answers. Mikel Arteta is Arsenal manager but, having worked at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola, was always bound to be under the microscope. City have been found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s spending rules from 2009 to 2018 which covers two of the three-and-a-half years that Arteta was at the Etihad. Arteta is now manager of City’s biggest rivals and therefore it is totally unrealistic to expect not to be asked about the 115 case. In fairness to Arteta, he gave some answers but largely avoided questions and tried desperately hard to steer clear of controversy because he said it was an “ongoing process.” Martin Keown and Joe Cole make their feelings clear Here’s what Keown and Cole have said about Man City’s charges. Michael Oliver decision made after Man City charges as Premier League officials confirmed Michael Oliver will not officiate in the Premier League this weekend as English football's top-flight resumes in the wake of the Man City guilty verdict. Oliver is regarded as one of the best referees in the country, but he won't take charge of any fixture this weekend, having refereed in every game week prior to this one. He was also in action during the international break, taking charge of Italy’s 4-1 win over Turkey in the UEFA Nations League. It's also routine for Pro Ref to rotate officials throughout the season, and referees regularly take a weekend off. Chris Kavanagh will take charge of the high profile clash between City and Liverpool, with Enzo Maresca's side in action for the first time since the aforementioned verdict. Man City players 'ask about relegation clauses' as £400k bonuses risk being missed Worried Manchester City stars have reportedly queried if they can get out of their contracts if the club is kicked out of the Premier League. The Times reports that once the verdict dropped, players were asking their agents about potential punishments, the consequences of not playing in UEFA's top club competition and whether there was any way to extract themselves from their contracts in the event of relegation. The report adds that there are no relegation clauses in players' contracts, meaning the club would have to dramatically cut costs and be forced into a fire sale of its leading talent. Publicly, the players have flat-batted questions about the guilty verdict. "We do need to a bit patient at justice taking its course." The Athletic's David Ornstein says Man City could face a range of sanctions if their guilty verdict is upheld on appeal, with rival clubs divided over how the Premier League champions should be punished. Speaking on TNT Sports, Ornstein said: "If there is a heavy verdict, which has already been delivered, you would imagine there would be a heavy sanction. It's not my view, it's not my opinion and Manchester City will try to avoid that if indeed they are found guilty at the end of their appeal."In terms of other clubs, there is a whole spectrum of reaction. Some feel wrong that they were cheated for many years, out of titles, out of bonuses, out of revenues and they want the harshest of punishments - whether that be expulsion, points deductions, transfer bans, fines and so on."Others are more sympathetic and understanding, they value Manchester City, whether it be as a member of the Premier League, as a trading partner, who they have had big dealing with in the market in terms of Man City signing players from them for huge amounts of money, they've given them players."So there is an emotional reaction, there are clubs that will look to take action, individuals who will look to take legal action, but none of that is possible until the end of the process and there is a timeline ahead that must be gone through - appeal, sanction hearings, potential appeals of the sanctions so we do need to a bit patient at justice taking its course." Andoni Iraola gives verdict on Man City's guilty ruling Ahead of facing Man City, Iraola admitted the uncertainty surrounding the club's guilty verdict was the biggest concern, but insisted his focus remained on making Liverpool the best team they can be. He said: "I think the worst thing probably is the uncertainty, that no one knows what’s going to happen. "But we have to focus on Liverpool – be the best club we can be, the best team we can be and that’s my challenge." Mikel Arteta gives telling one-word answer over his conscience amid Man City verdict Mikel Arteta insists his conscience is clear over the Manchester City case. Arteta was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad for three-and-a-half years before taking over as Arsenal manager in December 2019. Arteta largely refused to answer questions on the City case even though many of his managerial rivals have spoken out on the issue. But when asked whether his conscience was clear as he held a senior position at City, Arteta simply replied: “Yes.” Arteta insists that he will not discuss the case further other than to say Arsenal are determined to focus on themselves and ensure they are successful. Arteta added: “I think it's very important that we respect the process, the timelines, and it's still an ongoing process that is not resolved because it's been appealed. My position, and I think the club's position, is not to make any further comments until this is fully resolved."This has been going on for various years. That process is still not finished. So it is very difficult to express how I feel, because it is not resolved. When it is resolved I can talk with clarity and tell you exactly how I feel. I think we control our accelerator, and believe me, for seven years, it's been full gas in everything that we can do, and take every corner at max speed, but understanding what our strength and the things that we can do."This is something that's not in our hands. In our hands is the way we have prepared. That's where the focus has been." Liverpool fan Paddy Pimblett demands huge punishment for 'cheats' Man City UFC star and Liverpool fan Paddy Pimblett wants Manchester City deducted 100 points each season for the next DECADE. The UFC lightweight star Pimblett, an avid Red, wants a huge punishment dished out. "Manchester City should have like a 100-point deduction for the next 10 years - every year," he told Mirror Fighting. "But it's probably not going to happen, is it? They're going to strong-arm the Premier League and they're going to get away with it."I've lost out on Liverpool winning about five Premier League titles because of them. Jurgen Klopp would have had a season where he was invincible, won 100 points, and the double because we won the Champions League and the Premier League in the same season, and that's been robbed off him by cheating b******* ." Liverpool would in fact add three more Premier League trophies to their haul, as would Manchester United. Liverpool would also pick up a Carabao Cup, and Pimblett added: "I'd take them. That season (2018-19) when the only team to beat us all year was Man City, we should have those three points; we'd be centurions, we'd be invincible and we'd have done the double. That was one of the best seasons a team could ever have, so we deserved that, but we're just going to have to see what happens over the coming weeks and months, because they're probably going to strong-arm the league and get away with it." Gary Neville sends stern warning to Premier League over Man City appeal - 'Absolute uproar' Gary Neville has warned the Premier League that a decision needs to be made on Manchester City’s appeal or they will be risking ‘absolute uproar’. Speaking on the Overlap Daily, the former Manchester United star said: “It will be very difficult for everybody in football to watch Manchester City win the league this year. Psychologically, it would be a huge problem for the game. "I don’t think the Premier League can let this run until the end of the season," he said. "If Manchester City are lifting the Premier League trophy in May without a verdict being given, there will be absolute uproar. The case must be dealt with by February or March."Due process has to happen, and City believe they will get off the charges, so we will see what happens. But you cannot get to the end of the season and have Manchester City win the title without a verdict." No punishment has been dealt out yet, albeit relegation, points deductions and potentially stripping their titles have all been mooted. And Neville believes that the latter is the most obvious route, while he has also suggested that the club’s owners should also be removed as a consequence. He added: “I think the owners should go, the titles should be stripped for the relevant period, and there should be a multi-year points punishment. The owners and executives are going to struggle to remain in place if the same test that I have to follow as a director and owner is applied consistently.“I’m not particularly fixated on relegating Manchester City to League One or League Two. I want the club to return to the Premier League. I was speaking to a City fan this morning who said supporters are going to wear retro kits on Sunday to show that they love the club and would go back to where they were if they had to. If that is what they do, good luck to them.“But I can understand why the Premier League, politicians and regulators are concerned about the impact of removing the owners. For the club, the city and the east side of Manchester, the economic consequences would be enormous. That is the context, even though I have been clear about the punishment I think should happen." Man City whistleblower Rui Pinto goes BACK into witness protection after 'fearing for his life' Rui Pinto has had his protection restored by the Portuguese authorities in a rapid U-turn. Pinto’s Football Leaks website was key in Manchester City having 115 Premier League charges levelled against them. Pinto in the meantime has also been left uncomfortable, having seen his witness protection revoked by the Portuguese authorities. He had previously received protection since 2020. But the 37-year-old whistleblower has now had that restored for the time being, with a statement signed from the Ministry of Justice stating that Pinto had not been adequately informed of the grounds for terminating the programme or given the opportunity to exercise his right to challenge the decision. He now has 10 working days to review the original withdrawal. Taking to social media, he wrote: "I express my appreciation for the action taken by Portugal's Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, who restored legality by overturning a decision made by the members of the Commission responsible for Portugal's Witness Protection Programme, who acted in clear violation of the law and in a manifest abuse of power."This is a particularly serious situation, all the more so because, given their roles, the members of this Commission have an increased responsibility to uphold the rule of law and safeguard the rights, liberties and guarantees of citizens who, due to the specific nature of the Programme, find themselves in a particularly vulnerable and uncertain situation."Despite this restoration of legality, the way in which the members of the Commission have acted prevents me from placing any trust in them or feeling confident in their work. Such conduct is clearly contrary to the principles that should guide a witness protection programme, whose credibility and effectiveness depend, above all, on respect for the law, impartiality and the trust of those who rely on it."I would like to conclude by expressing my special gratitude to everyone who has shown their support and contributed to the fundraising campaign. To all of you, my sincere thanks for continuing to stand by me in this cause which, despite today's decision, is still far from being resolved."Pinto had previously appealed to the general public by attempting to raise €2.5m (£2.1m). He said: "Given these circumstances, I have no alternative but to relocate, within the next few days, to an undisclosed location for an indefinite period of time, due to the multiple death threats I have received and the serious risk of an assassination attempt against me." Premier League executives name one Man City punishment they're 'not expecting' The Athletic reports that several executives from Premier League clubs are not expecting the sanction to be direct expulsion, due to relying on the backing of clubs. For City to be thrown out of the Premier League, 14 of the clubs would have to vote in favour of the sanction. That would not be the case with other punishments, including fines or points deductions. Another option for the commission could be to recommend a deduction that would effectively guarantee relegation from the division and into the Championship, rather than kicking City out directly. There is, however, a fear that a huge points deduction would undermine the league’s competitive integrity and reduce the television product on offer. It could leave City effectively playing games that won’t have an impact on their future, as they could already be relegated via the deduction. There is also a worry in the Championship that a relegation for City would allow them to spend just one season outside of the Premier League before earning promotion back. That would therefore take up one of the promotion spots on offer to other clubs competing for a place in the top division. Man City 'held settlement talks with Premier League' BEFORE guilty verdict on charges Manchester City reportedly held settlement talks with the Premier League prior to the independent commission delivering their guilty verdict last month. City, still strongly deny any wrongdoing and have appealed the decision after they were found guilty of all but one of the alleged charges. Now, in a report by Bloomberg, the Premier League side held talks with the top-flight's governing body to discuss an 'early-stage settlement' but those discussions broke down. The report claims that any punishment would have been a hefty financial payment, rather than the stripping of titles and relegation, according to those sourced. It's claimed those talks quickly fell apart with City adamant about their innocence in the matter. The sheer amount of charges means the reported financial proposal would have only reduced the size of the case, rather than resolved it. Good morning! Welcome to The Mirror's live blog on Manchester City's charges. Thanks for joining us. We’ll bring you all the latest updates and developments as they emerge throughout the day.