Manchester City are likely to be expelled from the Premier League if the 115 charges against the former UEFA Champions League winner are proven.
City strongly refute all the charges raised against them, regarding alleged financial impropriety and other issues from 2009 onwards. A hearing for the case is understood to begin on September 16, and then a resolution should be reached before the end of the current season.
The Premier League have been investigating City since 2018, with legal industry insiders predicting an undisclosed settlement as the outcome.
But Premier League chiefs have set a new standard under the new independent football regulator, punishing both Everton and Nottingham Forest with points deductions for financial breaches this season.
That more aggressive action sets new a precedent for levels of punishment and consensus among legal experts is that, if employing that scale, City would face a severe punishment if found guilty.
The probability of being booted out of the Premier League and having to join the non-League pyramid would not be out of the question. Expulsion from the top flight would leave City seeking a new league in the English structure, at which point they could be welcomed straight into the Championship, should EFL members vote them in.
A more likely punishment is a significant points deduction and fine, in the event that the Premier League were able to prove a cross section of the charges.
Various reports have claimed points deduction in the region of 30 might be considered but any retrospective punishments as regards removing titles and trophies is understood to appear remote.
