Man City handed Premier League relegation verdict by lawyer amid 115 charges case

The sports lawyer who helped Leicester City win their recent legal battle against the Premier League believes Manchester City should not be relegated by off-field adjudicators.

Nick De Marco KC, who also helped Newcastle United’s takeover completion of 2021, says points deductions ought to be a last resort, having helped Leicester avoid the sanction earlier this month.

An independent panel judged that the Premier League had no right to charge the Foxes with financial breaches given the club was not one of its members at the time.

The scope of possible punishments that could befall Man City if found guilty of the 115 allegations against them is thought to be unlimited.

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The three-person commission for their hearing against the Premier League - which began on Monday - can directly impose fines and points deductions while also holding the power to recommend relegation as per a members vote.

Man City - whose legal team is being led by Lord Pannick KC - are confident proceedings will not get to this stage, denying all of the charges in full and vowing to clear their name “once and for all”.

De Marco says that while he is a beneficiary of current legislation, he does not believe it is “right” that a club should be expelled from a league due to anything other than sporting merit.

“In my view things as important as promotion and relegation should be determined on the pitch,” the 57-year-old told The Times.

“It spoils the game for it to be determined by people like me; lawyers and accountants and ex-lawyers who are arbitrators, hearing legal arguments behind closed doors. I’m going to make my money out of it because that’s my business but I don’t necessarily think it’s right.”

The Premier League handed out points deductions to Everton (twice) and Nottingham Forest last season, albeit the Toffees managed to reduce an initial 10-point penalty to six points upon appeal. Having taken umbrage with the potential of relegation, De Marco suggests points deductions should be the last-resort option.

He continued: “As a football fan I really do think points deductions should be the very last thing people look at for breaches. Yet it’s becoming a routine starting point, and I do think that spoils a lot of the fun and entertainment of the game.

“I can still see the argument for points deductions, because they can be the best way to redress a sporting advantage given the obvious flaws with financial penalties.

“If you are a very wealthy owner, intent on just spending anything in breach of the rules, you’re not going to worry too much about a financial penalty. But I still think point deductions should be a last resort.”

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