Now that statements have been made setting out the scale of apparent deception by the serial Premier League winners, it's incumbent upon the organisations involved to follow due legal process and come up with an appropriate punishment as would befit what appears to be an industrial-scale operation designed to circumvent the rules.
Unstable time at Man City
City maintain their innocence, of course, and time will tell whether the panel's decision is one that will stick, or if the club's lawyers are able to legitimately argue that they've done nothing wrong.
In any event, it's clearly an unstable time at the club presently, and wherever City play away from the Etihad Stadium, their players are likely to have to run the gauntlet from every set of away fans.
As of this moment, none of the players has commented on the situation, nor is the club likely to allow them to do so, but the worry will be that if there isn't clarity in the near future, their own futures with the Cityzens could be at stake.
Opponents across Europe will be watching the situation unfold with great interest, particularly if it means they're able to pick up world-class exponents for a fraction of their true value.
Foden wanted by Bayern
One player who is already courting the interest of Bayern Munich is City stalwart, Phil Foden.
As Flashscore's transfer expert Dean Jones has already noted, sources close to the club would expect the England international to show loyalty, perhaps more than any other current first-team ace, given Foden's long-standing association with City.
A lifelong supporter of the club, the 26-year-old joined City's academy back in 2008, and has recently signed a contract tying him to the club until 2030.
It's clear that, given the choice, Foden would want to stay put; however, the issue is that if City are potentially relegated, then he wouldn't necessarily have that choice.
Reliable and industrious
With reports suggesting that former City captain Vincent Kompany would absolutely sanction a transfer to Bayern, that's one avenue open to him.
If Foden were to take that route out of his boyhood club, what sort of output would the Bavarians be getting if they were successful in reuniting him with Kompany, and also international teammate Harry Kane?
From 2020/21 until now, only Kevin De Bruyne's 85 assists trump Foden's 55, whilst Erling Haaland is the one player to score more (169) than the England man's 95 goals.
In terms of appearances across those seasons, Foden's 299 has him just four short of Bernardo Silva's 302, which is currently the most of any City player since the start of the 20/21 campaign. There can be no question marks then over his availability.
Considering his position on the pitch, his shot accuracy of 59.38% is a stunning return. Haaland's is only slightly better at 61.03% for comparison.
It's also worth highlighting that Foden's 602 total shots, of which 247 were on target, are outputs that are both only bettered by the Norwegian hitman, and even the 11 braces and three hat-tricks scored hand the winger the silver medal position behind Haaland again.
460 chances created is more than anyone bar De Bruyne, and 10,470 total passes, of which 9,227 found their target, give Foden an incredible 88.13% pass completion over six seasons.
No one can match his 28.89% crossing accuracy, and what might surprise many is his doggedness in terms of one-on-one duels.
A shame if Foden is forced to move
Foden has contested 1,873 since the start of 20/21, with Rodri (2,104) and Bernardo Silva (2,177) the two teammates to have won more. The trio are way ahead of anyone else in this regard, with Ruben Dias the next most industrious on 1,473.
Even his 827 ball recoveries deserve praise, as that also goes some way to showing just why he's so valued by the club.
Not only someone who creates and scores goals, but a player who works incredibly hard for the team.
If he's forced to move on because of City's precarious situation, it would be a real shame for a player who has poured his heart and soul into making them what they have become on the pitch.