David Bernstein believes Manchester City would need to face a punishment beyond a financial penalty if the club’s guilt is upheld after appeal, following confirmation that it was found responsible for 114 of the 115 financial-irregularity charges.
The former City chairman, who led the club between 1998 and 2003, said the outcome had left him “shocked”. A supporter for 70 years, Bernstein spoke of his sadness that the most successful period in the club’s modern history had been cast into shadow by the case. “To see it all tainted in this way is very sad,” he said, adding that his greatest sympathy was for the club’s supporters, who had stayed with City through better and worse days.
A sanction that carries weight
Bernstein did not attempt to prescribe the exact penalty City should receive, but made clear that a fine alone would not meet the seriousness of the findings. If the verdict survives the appeal process, he said, his “beloved club” should expect a very severe sanction. “Money is not enough,” was his blunt assessment. “Unfortunately, it would have to be something more drastic.”
He also urged those handling the appeal to bring the matter to a conclusion without allowing it to drift through further seasons. The process, Bernstein argued, has already lasted too long, and a drawn-out appeal would be damaging not merely for City but for English football as a whole. An outcome that lingers year after year, he warned, would be a disaster for the game.
