Former England striker Gary Lineker has appealed for Manchester City to own up to the financial misconduct identified by an independent commission. The commission said the club used fraudulent contracts to distort its financial picture over several seasons, and Lineker warned that stripping titles would hurt both players and fans.
Senior figures within English football are uneasy about the possibility of City competing in next season’s Champions League even if the club were to be relegated for breaching financial rules. Their concerns highlight the broader implications of the sanctions on the competition’s integrity and the club’s future European involvement.