Nick de Marco KC, a prominent sports lawyer, has already said that Manchester City should avoid relegation even if they are found guilty amidst the 115 financial charges facing them.. De Marco, aged 57, is known for having represented former City defender Benjamin Mendy. That came in a successful £11million claim for unpaid wages against the club earlier this month.. Mendy had dragged City to an employment tribunal in Manchester over allegations of his £500,000-a-month salary being improperly suspended after he was charged and remanded for sex offences in August 2021, from which he was acquitted. While De Marco triumphed over City representing Mendy, his stance on the club’s current Financial Fair Play (FFP) troubles is clear.. READ MORE: Haaland help, Rodri puzzle, De Bruyne decision – City squad stocktake with transfer need evident. READ MORE: City injury latest and return dates. De Marco, with chambers at Blackstone, believes vital aspects like promotion and relegation should be settled on the football field rather than by off-pitch hearings. “In my view, things as important as promotion and relegation should be determined on the pitch,” De Marco said in The Times.. “It spoils the game for it to be determined by people like me; lawyers, accountants and ex-lawyers, who are arbitrators, hearing legal arguments behind closed doors. I’m going to make my money out of it, that’s my business. But I don’t necessarily think it’s right.”. Another potential punishment, a points deduction, which have been faced by Everton and Nottingham Forest previously, was also shut down by De Marco. “As a football fan, I really do think points deductions should be the very last thing people look at for breaches,” he continued.. Pep Guardiola’s side won’t learn the outcome of the case until next year, it’s believed (Image: Crystal Pix/MB Media). “Yet it’s becoming a routine starting point and I do think that spoils a lot of the fun and entertainment of the game. I can see the argument for points deductions, because they can be the best way to redress a sporting advantage given the obvious flaws with financial penalties.. “If you are a very wealthy owner – intent on just spending anything in breach of the rules – you’re not going to worry too much about financial penalty, but I still think point deductions should be a last resort.”. The Premier League brought charges against City in 2023, with the private hearing commencing this September. Details from the hearing remain confidential as proceedings are held behind closed doors.. The hearing is anticipated to conclude in early December after nine weeks, although it was initially estimated to last 10 weeks. However, a final verdict is not expected until the end of the season.
