FA break silence on Man City scandal with first statement since Premier League verdict

The Football Association (FA) say they "will take action where appropriate" in their first statement since Manchester City were found guilty of breaching all charges that were brought against the club by the Premier League.

"The Independent Commission's decision has significant implications for the integrity of the game. We are carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate," the FA statement read.

"As proceedings between the Premier League and Manchester City Football Club remain ongoing, we do not intend to comment further at this stage. We will, however, continue to monitor developments closely."

In a statement on Tuesday, the Premier League said City arranged "sham" sponsorship contracts to artificially inflate revenue as part of a "disguised funding scheme" to the scale of £830.69million. An independent commission found City guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009/10 and 2017/18.

City, however, have once again denied any wrongdoing and intend to appeal the decision by the end of this week. The club believe they are "innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League" and say they have "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" to support their case.

Speaking about the verdict, Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters, said: "The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade.

“It also vindicates the Premier League’s decision to pursue this case against Manchester City. While the process to date has been both long and difficult, the League has remained determined that the facts be established independently.

“It is a key responsibility of the Premier League to ensure that the Rules, approved by the clubs themselves, are upheld to protect the integrity of the competition. It is paramount that the League remains competitive and fair for all clubs and for the fans.

"We take that role extremely seriously. This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history.

"There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches. Now we have the Commission's decision, we are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the League, our clubs and fans."

Although City have been found guilty, the punishment is yet to be decided. Some have called for City to be relegated from the top-flight this season, while others feel an even harsher sporting punishment should be handed out to the eight-time Prem winners. Alongside that, more points deductions, transfer bans and heavy fines have been suggested as other potential sanctions.