Former Manchester City chairman demands club be expelled from Premier League if appeal fails

Former Manchester City chairman David Bernstein has claimed the club cannot remain in the Premier League if their appeal against a landmark guilty verdict fails. The club was recently found guilty of 115 separate breaches of financial regulations, a development that Bernstein described as "damning beyond belief."

Speaking with BBC Radio 5 Live, Bernstein questioned whether the current board and leadership should continue following the findings. He argued that the credibility of the entire league is at stake, suggesting the violations go beyond mere financial irregularities.

The sanctions cannot just be financial, so it's got to be way beyond that. If the appeal fails, Manchester City cannot stay in the league, they have to suffer. And I say that as a supporter and a fan. David Bernstein

The breaches, which span nearly a decade of domestic dominance, involve sophisticated schemes such as "sham contracts" to mask funding sources exceeding £830m. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters defended the ruling, stating that the commission's decision establishes the facts of how the club systematically broke rules for years.

Manchester City has immediately launched a counter-offensive, releasing a statement that labels the commission's opinion as "fundamentally flawed." The club maintains its complete innocence and insists that irrefutable evidence exists to support its position throughout the ongoing legal process.