Former Man City Chairman Calls for Club Directors to Step Down After Guilty Verdict

Former Manchester City chairman David Bernstein wants the club's directors to step down after City were found guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules.

The league announced on Tuesday that City were guilty on all charges covering 2009 to 2018. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the club "systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade." City have said they will appeal.

Bernstein, who was City chairman from 1998 to 2003 and is a lifelong fan, did not hold back when he spoke to talkSPORT. "I can't think of a penalty strong enough for this, really. I mean, this is absolutely terrible," he said.

He then turned to the people running the club. "I want to raise another question, and that is the position of the board of directors. Because the directors of the club, including the chief executive, who's been there for years and went through this period, are responsible for the running of the club in every respect.

"If this was a public company of some sort, I think the directors, with something as serious as this, would have to stand down or be suspended pending the outcome of all this ... Appeal or no appeal.

"I don't think the present management can credibly continue."

In a separate chat with the BBC, Bernstein was asked if City's actions amounted to fraud. He suggested the board's conduct deserved a legal investigation. "I would go that far, yes," he said. He added that he is not a lawyer and was only putting the thought out there, but felt the matter went further than football's own rules. "It is something that is so serious that it goes beyond the football authorities. It is damning beyond belief."

Bernstein also said City should be thrown out of the Premier League if the charges stand. He told talkSPORT that a long appeal would be bad for everyone. "If [City's appeal] drags on for a year or two, heaven forbid, that would be the worst thing for everybody," he said.

He does not think a fine would be enough either. "But all I would say is that money [a financial penalty] is not sufficient now.

"But if these charges stand now and let's say the appeal does not happen or fails, then I'm afraid for the club I love that they've got to come out of the Premier League. This is beyond awful."