Face ’otentiall› season-defining week

LONDON – Members of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ are reportedly pushing hardest to see Manchester City handed the severest punishment for breaching more than 100 financial rules.

In a bombshell announcement on Monday, the Premier League charged City with more than 100 financial rule breaches,

Should Man City be found guilty, they face a range of potential sanctions including a points deduction or even an expulsion - though it could take years to come to a conclusion.

LONDON – A French Cup trip to bitter rivals Marseille today is the start of seven days that could define this season for Paris Saint-Germain, with a Champions League showdown against Bayern Munich approaching.

The Bundesliga giants visit the French capital for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie next Tuesday, but there will be no easy build-up to that game for PSG.

Marseille await them in the bear pit of the Velodrome for a French Cup last-16 tie as the Parisians aim to reclaim a trophy they missed out on last season after winning it six times in the previous seven years.

Then they go to in-form Monaco on Saturday. A match that could be one of the biggest obstacles remaining to their title bid in Ligue 1. They are eight points clear of nearest rivals Marseille and Lens at the top of the table. PSG have an excellent cup record against Marseille, winning 10 of the 11 past encounters between the clubs, including two finals in the last two decades.

Yet while Marseille will have a hostile crowd in their favour with 65 000 fans behind them on Wednesday, PSG’s domestic superiority has been questioned in recent weeks.

The report adds there is a growing sentiment that the retrospective action of stripping City’s titles is ‘meaningless’ and a fine is ‘not likely to have much of an effect’.

City have won six of the last 11 Premier League titles and sympathy from Big Six rivals is likely to be in short supply now.

Sustainability

The charges against the reigning champions relate to financial information regarding revenue, details of manager and player remuneration, UEFA regulations, profitability and sustainability and co-operation with Premier League investigations.

A statement from the league said alleged breaches were committed from September 2009 to the 201718 season and will be referred to an independent commission.

City are also facing charges for failing to co-operate with the Premier League since the investigation was launched in 2018.

It adds that the club is alleged to have breached league rules requiring provision ‘in utmost good faith’ of ‘accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position’.

In their own statement City said it was surprised by the alleged breaches.