Man Utd icon Neville says Premier League will look ‘incompetent’ if Man City aren’t proven guilty of financial breaches
GARY NEVILLE claims the Premier League will be proved “incompetent” if Manchester City are cleared of serious Financial Fair Play charges.
City could be stripped of titles and Premier League rivals want them relegated if the 100-plus allegations go against them.
And Manchester United legend Neville believes top-flight chiefs will be ridiculed if the case fails following their four-year investigation.
But the ex-England defender also reckons City are RIGHT to complain the matter might not be dealt with independently due to club rivalry.
Neville told Sky Sports: “They [City] have a major fight and there will be a major loser here.
“The Premier League is going to be found to be incompetent if they can’t land the charges and if they do land the charges it’s going to tarnish the last 10 years for many people, particularly clubs who have been fighting against them.
“If they broke the rules then they should get the book thrown at them, and that will happen.
“If they haven’t, then the Premier League, to be fair, it has taken them four years.”
Neville is stunned investigators are now amending some charges due to errors over dates – despite spending so long bringing the case.
He said: “I am a little bit nervous about the Premier League’s defence, in the sense that this morning they have had six of the charges changed.
“It’s come out in the papers they have got the wrong years, and that is really sloppy if they have been investigating it for four years.”
BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
Nev, however, wants the whole issue of club funding investigated, amid a string of controversial takeovers and investment.
He said: “I’m not a fan of FFP anyway. I must admit I want the last 20 years of English football, whether it be the links of Putin and Abramovich, the Saudi Arabian takeover, United’s leveraged buyout.
“All these things need to be corrected. moving forward by a new structure in English football.”
Neville, though, also went some way to backing Etihad boss Pep Guardiola, who worries his club have already been “condemned”.
The former one-club right-back, 47, said: “What City are complaining about is a lack of independence.
“There is too much conflict from other clubs and I completely agree with them on that.”