The Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that Manchester City had been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges against them. Those charges relate to serious breaches of financial rules, dating all the way back to the club’s takeover by Abu Dhabi United Group.

Sponsorship income was inflated, whilst costs were masked, allowing Manchester City to circumvent strict spending limits set by UEFA and the Premier League, and allowing the club to gain a competitive advantage. The club immediately announced that they would appeal the decision. That is even before a sanction has been handed down by the Premier League.

There is plenty of speculation about the nature of the sanction that will be handed down, and L’Équipe understands that, among the squad, there is talk of such a significant points deduction that relegation to the EFL Championship would be inevitable. That is what one agent of a Manchester City player told the French publication.