Man City CEO defiant over Premier League charges

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has issued a defiant message to the executives of other teams about the club being found guilty of a majority of Premier League charges, BBC Sport has been told.

He was speaking at a board meeting of European Football Clubs (formerly the ECA) in Copenhagen before its general assembly on Tuesday.

Soriano was said to have vowed to fight the charges and the process had a long way to run, reiterating what the club's chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a letter to fans.

The Press Association reported Soriano told the executives "it's taken eight years to get here and it's going to take a lot more time", referring to the start of the Premier League's investigation in 2018.

He then left the meeting without answering any questions from the media.

The report added Manchester United's chief of international football relations Jean-Claude Blanc and Everton owner Dan Friedkin - there in his capacity as owner of Roma - were among those to attend.

City were accused of a wide range of rule breaches, centering around claims they inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and made other "off the books" payments to circumvent financial regulations.

On Friday, it emerged they had been found guilty of the vast majority of the 115 charges brought against them.

Premier League clubs are seeking legal advice about compensation relating to the charges, while BBC Sport has been told City will appeal.

Sanctions are yet to be announced, but repercussions could include a points deduction, expulsion from the top flight or a huge fine.

The Premier League has declined to comment, while City released a statement saying the "Premier League process remains ongoing with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality".

Chairman Al Mubarak told supporters on Saturday he was confident the club would prove their innocence.

"The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club's innocence is just as strong as when this began," he said.

"There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position.

"But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies."

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