Manchester City could face a severe punishment for numerous alleged breaches of financial rules, but the club continues to deny wrongdoing and has lodged an appeal.
The club could ultimately be expelled from the Premier League as a result of the proceedings. However, senior figures in English football are concerned that Manchester City might still be allowed to compete in the next Champions League if it qualifies on sporting grounds.
The concern centres on the process for granting clubs the licence required to play in European competitions. According to BBC information, there is no automatic mechanism to remove a team from European competition if it earns qualification through its domestic performance.
The licence decision is based on the most up-to-date information available and does not take previous sanctions or past breaches into account.