Jesse Marsch told the Guardian in an interview that Manchester City should be punished severely and relegated, adding that 'everyone knew' about it. (EPA Images pic)

OTTAWA: Canada coach Jesse Marsch has called for Manchester City to be punished severely over breaches of Premier League financial rules, saying his experience managing against the club left him convinced there were inconsistencies in the way it operated.

City were found guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules over nine seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18, with the league alleging the club used "sham" commercial contracts to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900 million (US$1.19 billion).

The club has denied wrongdoing, saying the verdict contained material errors of law, principle and fact, and filed an appeal on Thursday against the independent commission ruling.