The case remains ongoing, with City expected to appeal and the eventual sanction yet to be determined. City have maintained that the proceedings are not complete, while chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has insisted the club are innocent. The Premier League has declined to comment on the private process.

Tebas said the latest developments reinforced concerns he first raised publicly at the Soccerex conference in Manchester in 2017, when he criticised what he called "financial doping" in European football.

He had highlighted Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain and questioned the influence of substantial external financial resources on competition.

Tebas said his latest comments were not intended as an "I told you so" moment, but as part of his broader argument for financial oversight and consistent regulations.

"Economic sustainability is not bureaucracy. Financial control is not a whim," he said.

He argued that clubs should compete based on how effectively they are managed, how much revenue they generate and how well they build their teams, rather than simply on the strength of external financial backing.

Tebas also referred to City's 2020 case with UEFA. The club received a two-year European competition ban and a 30 million euros fine before the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the ban and reduced the fine to 10 million euros.

Tebas criticised that ruling, saying it damaged confidence in European football's financial control system and arguing that the same rules should apply to every club.

The current Premier League case involves allegations including inaccurate financial information, failures to provide details of payments to players and coaches, breaches of financial sustainability rules and failure to cooperate with the investigation.

With the legal process still unfinished, Tebas stressed that the wider issue extends beyond Manchester City.

"What has happened once again shows why economic control, transparency, and equal rules for all are essential to protect the integrity and sustainability of football," he said.

Tebas has faced criticism in the past, including claims that his position could benefit LaLiga's biggest clubs. He continues to present his stance as a wider argument for consistent financial standards across European football.

Orlando Pirates equal club record after sinking TS Galaxy