A guilty verdict no longer removes a champion from the field.
Manchester City's conviction on 114 of 115 financial charges left it winning at Anfield while appeal clocks, unwritten sanctions, and member-club votes defer any actual punishment by months.
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A 114-charge guilty verdict defers all punishment to a January appeal clock while the champion keeps winning at the top of the table.
A guilty verdict on 114 of 115 charges converts into appeal clocks and unwritten sanctions while the champion continues playing.
Even executives floating pre-verdict suspension cannot extract the champion from the field while the 12-week appeal process and member-club votes run.