Perhaps the most seismic day in English football history, but one that is still going to see more earthquakes to come – and perhaps for some time.

As news broke from The Athletic that Manchester City are expected to be found guilty of most of the 115 charges – with sources insisting the same to the The Independent – there was still no official Premier League statement. The competition is still subject to a private and confidential process, amid a situation that remains legally sensitive.

While many figures in football found this “absurd” given how reports on this are the talk of the game, after 24 hours of rumours that a decision was imminent, it also points to how – in the words of one source – “this is nowhere near the end”.

City are expected to appeal, “trying every route possible”, potentially including the High Court, even though that is not strictly permitted in the rules.

That could yet take months, even years.

And that already in a situation where, without an actual published award, the entire case still forms one of the longest waits for a civil award in English modern legal history.

It all means that, despite a huge step after eight years of waiting , there is still so much uncertainty.

Many involved do seem to have been caught cold by the news. Everyday City staff were not forewarned, which marks a difference from previous steps in this eight-year process, and many were resorting to gallows humour once the news came out.