Manchester City accusations: punishment before the end of the season, say Premier League clubs

Another source said the process “should” be resolved by the end of the season, and hoped any appeal would be “compressed.”

The final decision rests with the independent commission, with the Premier League board – and City – able to suggest an appropriate sanction before the panel makes its decision.

There is a growing desire for the matter to be resolved by the end of the season, with fears that allowing City to get to the end of the campaign without punishment could lead to uncertainty and farce, particularly if they were to win the title.

A section of the Premier League regulations states that an appeal must not be concluded more than 12 weeks after it is lodged and a decision must be made within 30 days of its conclusion.

Procedures can be accelerated to meet certain deadlines, such as the end of a championship season.

However, Ferran Soriano, the club’s general manager, suggested the affair would last a long time.

Manchester City cannot appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), but could potentially claim the process was not impartial in the High Court.

The Premier League’s statement, officially announcing the guilty verdicts read out on Monday, said it wanted the process to be “concluded as soon as possible”.