Javier Tebas has dropped a bombshell on European football. Spain's LaLiga president demanded the harshest available sanctions on Manchester City after the club was found guilty in the historic financial breaches case, insisting what has happened must be a turning point for all of football.
Tebas spoke in fiery terms on the sidelines of the Performance and Health Summit in London, hosted on Tuesday by global players' union FIFPRO and the Cleveland Clinic. "I have raised concerns about Manchester City for many years. I did so in 2017 during the Soccerex conference, and at the time it pleased neither Manchester City nor the Premier League."
News agency Reuters confirmed the accuracy of reports that an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of 114 out of 115 breaches of the Premier League's financial fair play rules, accusations the Sky Blues have long denied.
Violations dating back to 2009
Tebas stressed how long the violations went on. "It has now emerged that there were ongoing breaches dating back to 2009, and breaking the rules for more than ten years is extremely serious. The punishment must be severe, not only to serve as a lesson, but because the rules have actually been broken."
He added: "We are seeking to make football sustainable and fair across all competitions, and as many clubs say, titles that should have been lost by those clubs to others have been lost. What has happened is hugely important, and we hope it represents a turning point, not just for the Premier League."
The repercussions reach far beyond England, in the LaLiga president's view. "The Manchester City case has repercussions across Europe, particularly regarding financial manipulation. The punishment must be a deterrent."
Under the regulations, Manchester City face sanctions ranging from huge financial fines and points deductions to relegation. British reports indicate Premier League clubs have already begun to seek legal advice in order to claim compensation.
An attack on "CAS"
He also took aim at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which in 2020 overturned UEFA's decision to ban City from the Champions League for two years on charges of inflating sponsorship revenues between 2012 and 2016.
Tebas said: "In my opinion, the decisions of the Court of Arbitration for Sport must be reviewed, as it overturned the sanction imposed by UEFA, and that decision was highly questionable, and now it has been proven that UEFA was right."
Maheta Molango, chief executive of England's Professional Footballers' Association, voiced his concern at how long the case has dragged on. "What worries us is the impact of this on the wider ecosystem, and on trust in the rules and institutions. If there is one lesson to be drawn, it is that we need rules, they must be adhered to, and there must be immediate consequences."
He added: "There are human beings behind all of these stories, and people who are striving to achieve certain goals in their careers. What we owe everyone in this sector is certainty."