Gary Neville gives his take on the current Man City case
The saga surrounding Manchester City shows no sign of settling, as an independent panel has now delivered a guilty ruling that leaves the club staring down the barrel of possible punishment over alleged breaches of the rules.
Two pressing questions have been put forward by Gary Neville regarding the predicament Manchester City find themselves in, and in his view, the answers to both will hold the key to making sense of the guilty ruling handed down to the club in its courtroom clash with the Premier League.
Gary Neville surprised by Man City's commercial muscle
In Neville's eyes, everything hinges on two straightforward questions. Appearing on Stick to Football, he put it like this: "City supporters have witnessed an extraordinary era of success. Over the past 10 to 15 years, the club has grown into a European and global powerhouse, forging its own path along the way.
"Two things stand out — first, how on earth can Manchester City pull in more commercial revenue than Real Madrid? That simply doesn't add up. And second, why would Roberto Mancini be collecting close to £2 million a year from Abu Dhabi for just a few days of work?
"Once you ask those questions, the whole thing starts to unravel. I never imagined we'd witness anything this troubling in English football."
His words lay bare just how serious the situation around Man City has grown. The verdict may have settled one aspect of the matter, yet it has only opened the door to a flood of fresh questions.