DFB official calls for tough Manchester City punishment

German Football Federation (DFB) general manager Andreas Rettig has called for the harshest possible punishment for English club Manchester City in connection with their breaches of financial regulations.

"To be perfectly honest: it doesn't get any worse than this. For me, this isn't a 'worst-case scenario', but the 'worst-case fraud scenario' - the most serious case of fraud imaginable," Rettig told Kicker sports magazine. 

"I hope that UEFA will bring out the big guns and impose the maximum possible penalty. Specifically, that means the revocation of their licence and the stripping of all titles."

The allegations against City relate to 115 potential offences dating from 2009 to 2018, during which the club is alleged to have, among other things, provided false information about its finances and artificially inflated sponsorship revenue. 

The club was found guilty in 114 cases by an independent commission, a ruling which City are appealing. 

A substantial points deduction, which should mean relegation to the second tier Championship, is currently the expected penalty. 

Rettig, who is stepping down from his DFB post at the end of the year, emphasised the importance of the 50+1 rule applied in German football, which prevents external investors or corporations from gaining sole decision-making power over a football club. 

"It's an obvious parallel to draw. Man City have trampled underfoot the principle of spending only the money generated by attributable revenue. At the same time, this is merely the most visible tip of the iceberg. The 50+1 principle acts as a cultural safeguard against such excesses," Rettig said.