Rangers precedent emerges as legal expert explains potential Man City sanction

Rangers could provide a useful precedent as the Premier League considers what punishment Manchester City should face, according to football legal expert Daniel Baker.

The financial fallout surrounding Manchester City has inevitably brought back memories for Rangers supporters, who experienced their own dramatic financial crisis 14 years ago.

Rangers were forced out of the Scottish top flight and had to begin again in the third tier, eventually working their way back to the Premiership over the following four seasons.

Manchester City are now at the centre of a major financial case after being found guilty of artificially inflating revenue by more than £900million between 2009 and 2018.

The Premier League has yet to announce what sanction, if any, will ultimately be imposed, but Baker believes Rangers’ experience could be relevant when considering the possible consequences.

Baker, a Senior Associate at Knights who has represented football clubs, coaches and athletes at the highest level, including cases involving the Court of Arbitration for Sport, told Ibrox News that the scale of the alleged financial wrongdoing makes the situation particularly serious.

He suggested that potential expulsion from the Premier League could be considered, while pointing to Rangers’ experience of dropping down the Scottish football pyramid as an example of how a club can rebuild after a severe punishment.

Rangers spent four seasons outside the top flight before returning to the Premiership under Mark Warburton. Their first campaign back ended with a third-place finish and European qualification.

Baker also stressed that the rules do not appear to prescribe a specific punishment for Manchester City’s case, meaning the Premier League would have to determine what sanction it considers appropriate.

For Rangers fans, the comparison will inevitably bring back memories of one of the most difficult periods in the club’s history. For Manchester City, the focus now remains on what punishment will eventually be decided.