Jamie Carragher believes Manchester City should face a three- to five-year ban if the club's appeal against financial misconduct charges is rejected.
The former Liverpool defender argues that a one-season ban would not be enough to reflect the extent of the breaches the English club are accused of. Speaking on Sky Bet's The Overlap Fan Debate, Carragher said that a deduction of 80 or 100 points would only have an effect over the course of a season, giving Manchester City the chance to bounce back to their previous levels.
"If people talk about 80 or 100 points, that's just for one season. It knocks you out of the league and then you come back in," Carragher said.
According to him, a punitive measure that would be spread over several seasons would have much greater consequences for Manchester City, especially for the composition of the squad. The former England defender stressed that a long period of sanctions could also affect the future of key players, who could decide to leave the club if the situation lasted for several years.
"I think it should be something that lasts three, four or five years, because then it starts to affect the players who are there. They can say: 'I don't want to be part of this for five years,'" Carragher said.
An independent commission has found Manchester City liable for financial irregularities relating to a period of nine seasons. However, the English club have appealed the findings and the final process is still ongoing.
If Manchester City's appeal fails, it now remains to be seen what punitive measure will be imposed and whether it will be of the magnitude requested by Carragher.
