Manchester City being stripped of titles in their FFP case, which could mean Sergio Aguero's iconic goal "didn't happen", is considered unlikely.
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Verdict due in long-running sagaPossible punishments speculated onHistory books could be rewrittenFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The reigning Premier League champions, who have made history under Pep Guardiola by claiming the last four domestic crowns, remain locked in a Financial Fair Play battle. There are at least 115 charges hanging over the Etihad Stadium.
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A verdict, following an independent hearing, is considered to be close – with various punishments being speculated on. It has been suggested that City could be stung with hefty points penalties, transfer embargoes or demotion out of the English top-flight.
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If they were to be found guilty of breaking rules relating to spending, during an era in which they became a domestic and European force to be reckoned with, then questions could be asked of whether certain successes should be scrubbed from the record books.
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The general consensus is that things will not get to that point, with sports journalist Matt Hughes telling when quizzed on the subject of title stripping: "There seems to be no appetite to take retrospective punishment." Sports lawyer Simon Leaf went on to say: “" suspect there will be certain clubs looking at this and saying, actually we would have been entitled to payments for qualifying for Champions League… or even bonuses from sponsors from finishing in a different position.”
Another journalist, Martin Lipton, added on why history cannot be rewritten off the field: "If you were to strip titles, the single most iconic moment in the history of the Premier League – Sergio Aguero's 94th minute goal against QPR to win the league – didn't happen. You can't rewrite history to that extent."