An independent committee didn't just deliver guilty verdicts on 114 of Manchester City's charges for breaching Premier League financial rules, they produced the most shocking 40-page document in English football history.
In said document, the three-person committee used the word 'sham' eight times to describe City's schemes to artificially inflate the club's commercial revenue by £830 million.
It's the biggest scandal in football history, perhaps in sports altogether. While the Cityzens are set to appeal the outcome of the case, potential punishments include relegation, heavy points deduction or even expulsion.
How did we get here? To the point where a decade of Premier League might be written out of the history books. During the process, key individuals are fighting on both sides' in a drama that perhaps not even Christopher Nolan could script.
Man City vs Premier League Key Figures
MAN CITY
Khaldoon Al Mubarak (Chairman)
When Manchester City were taken over by Abu Dhabi United Group back in September 2008, Khaldoon Al Mubarak replaced previous owner Thaksin Shinawatra as chairman. He's been in the role ever since the change in ownership and overseen the club's coperate strategy along with it's public stance.
Al Mubrak has constantly maintained City's innocence including in an interview with club media after last season. He is one of the most influential figures at the Etihad and thus right in the thick of the biggest sporting scandal this country has ever seen.
Ferran Soriano (Chief Executive Officer)
The first City representative to be asked about the guilty verdicts was Ferran Soriano who tried his best to remain tight-lipped. Sky News' Rob Harris put the word 'sham' to him and the Spaniard winced at the sound of it.
Soriano has a lengthy career in football, having served as vice-president and General Manager at Barcelona. He headed to the Etihad in 2012 to take the CEO role before doing so for the City Football Group a year later.
This position involves managing day-to-day operations and executive affairs. In a video sent to club employees after the verdict, he described the findings as a 'conspiracy theory'.
Simon Pearce (Board Member & Senior Adviser)
Probably the least familiar name to football fans outside of City but he is has been hugely important in the club's growth since their 2008 takeover. He handles internal communications which were heavily scrutinised during investigations into sponsorship funding.
Pearce works closely with club owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and is a strategist and negotiator. No doubt we'll be hearing more about him in the months to come.
PREMIER LEAGUE LEADERSHIP
Richard Masters (Chief Executive)
The leader of the Premier League administration, Richard Masters has been at the forefront of the investigation into City. He has admitted that the process has taken much longer than desired when responding to criticism over the wait for a decision.
Masters made clear that "the core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City". Those comments made after the guilty verdicts were confirmed.
Murray Rosen KC (Chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel)
The man who appointed the independent commission for the case and whom oversees appeal panels under Premier League Rule W. Murray Rosen KC is an arbitrator and mediator who has specialised in sports disputes since 2016.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Lord David Pannick KC (Leading City Defense)
When news broke that City had turned to Lord David Pannick KC to lead their legal team, those in the know believed their chances of winning increased drastically. That's because he is one of the UK's most prominent barristers previously successfully representing Gina Miller against the government over Brexit.
Paul Harris KC (Monckton Chambers)
An advisor for City's defense team, he played a crucial role in the club's successful appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020 against UEFA. It's said that Paul Harris KC “relishes the cut and thrust of commercial litigation”.
Adam Lewis KC (Blackstone Chambers)
On the Premier League side, Adam Lewis KC has been their lead counsel, heading the prosecution alongside legal team from Bird & Bird. He is "widely considered as the leading sports lawyer at the Bar."
