Lawyer who defeated Man City has already given his verdict on 115 charges relegation

Sports lawyer Nick de Marco KC believes shouldn't be relegated if found guilty of any of their 115 financial charges.

The 57-year-old represented ex-City defender Benjamin Mendy as he for unpaid wages against his former club earlier this month. Mendy took City to in Manchester, claiming that they had after he was charged with sex offences and remanded in custody in August 2021.

While he acted for Mendy to beat the Manchester club, the sports law barrister at Blackstone Chambers previously made clear that he doesn't think they should be punished with demotion if they end up on the wrong side of the verdict in their FFP hearing.

"In my view, things as important as promotion and relegation should be determined on the pitch," De Marco admitted, speaking to .

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

"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 and 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.

"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."

City’s charges were presented by the in 2023, but the ongoing private hearing didn’t commence until this September. No information has been made publicly available from said hearing, as it is to be completed in private.

It is expected to finish in early December, having gone on for nine weeks out of an estimated 10, but a verdict is not expected until the end of the season.

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our