According to reports, Manchester City players already have their representatives âexploringâ a transfer away from the Etihad âamid the looming threat of enforced relegationâ.
Man Cityâs hearing to examine 115 Premier League charges issued against them began on Monday as lawyers arrived at Londonâs International Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC).
Lord Pannick KC from Blackstone Chambers, who is leading Cityâs legal team, was pictured arriving at the IDRC, close to St Paulâs Cathedral in central London.
The hearing is reported to have been scheduled for 10 weeks, with the independent commissionâs verdict not expected until the new year.
The charges facing City, who won a fourth straight Premier League title in May, date back as far as the 2009-10 season.
It is thought the club, who are also accused of failing to co-operate with an investigation, could face a range of punishments including a severe points penalty or even expulsion from the Premier League if found guilty.
City were charged by the league in February 2023 after a long investigation into allegations published by German magazine Der Spiegel in autumn 2018.
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The club deny any wrongdoing and have previously said they have a âcomprehensive body of irrefutable evidenceâ to support their stance.
Cityâs financial affairs have come under regular scrutiny since their takeover by Sheikh Mansourâs Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.
In 2020 they were banned from European competition after being found guilty of breaking UEFAâs Financial Fair Play rules, but successfully challenged that ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
There have been lots of reports suggesting that Man City could have their titles stripped, with expulsion from the top flight not ruled out.
That threat reportedly has players on red alert, with the Daily Mail claiming that ârepresentatives of players in the first-team squad have begun exploring their options amid the looming threat of enforced relegationâ.
The report states that Pep Guardiolaâs stars are âaware of the impactâ of expulsion from the Premier League with âagents trying to cover every eventuality to ensure their players are protectedâ.
Agents want to be informed about the clubâs plans and want to âbe informed of the options open to them if the worst-case scenario occursâ, it is added.
No players are named in the report but it is impossible to imagine Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne rocking up to Swindon in League Two.
Uncertainty off the pitch has not negatively impacted Man City on it. They are currently top of the Premier League with four wins from four, with Erling Haaland scoring nine already.
They could not kick off their Champions League campaign with a victory though, drawing 0-0 at home to Inter on Wednesday night in a repeat of the 2023 final.
Next up for the champions is Arsenal at home on Sunday.
It will be a tough task for Guardiolaâs side but defender Ruben Dias says they are ready for the challenge.
âThereâs no running away from them, hiding from them, if you want to be the best as a team, individually, in this league,â Dias said.
âWeâre not hiding from nothing. We want them to come and we want to be the best.
âThe season has just started. Iâd say weâre still far from our best. We were very good but weâre still progressing in quality of playing, in mentality, everything.
âWe were very happy with the performance. We were solid both attacking and defending and it was very minor, the difference between winning or not.
âItâs another learning (curve). We have a lot to improve and we look forward for whatâs coming.â
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