Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations. Now comes arguably the biggest question of all: how will they be punished?
No sanction has yet been decided. The next stage is expected to be a sanctions hearing, where City and the Premier League can make their cases before the independent commission determines the punishment. City would then have the opportunity to appeal.
With no real precedent for a case of this scale, exactly what happens next remains uncertain. But from a huge points deduction to enormous financial penalties and even the possibility of titles being stripped, here are the major punishments now being discussed.
1. A Huge Points Deduction
A significant points deduction is one of the clearest sporting sanctions available to the commission.
Everton were previously docked points for breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, but the sheer number and nature of City’s reported breaches makes this an unprecedented case.
One Premier League source cited in UK newspaper The i Paper suggested a deduction could potentially reach 50 or 60 points, which would make relegation extremely difficult to avoid. Another possibility raised was spreading a deduction across multiple seasons. These are suggestions rather than an indication of what the commission has decided.
2. Could Man City Be Relegated?
Relegation could effectively follow from a sufficiently large points deduction, while expulsion from the Premier League is also among the potential sanctions available.
Premier League rules allow a disciplinary commission to impose a fine, points deduction or expulsion, as well as a punishment it considers appropriate.
That distinction is important. City could theoretically be directly expelled, or a huge deduction could leave them to suffer relegation through their league position.
3. Could Man City Have Their Titles Stripped?
This is perhaps the most controversial possibility.
City won eight major domestic trophies during the 2009-2018 period covered by the alleged financial breaches: three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four League Cups.
Those Premier League titles were:
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2011/12 | Manchester City | Manchester United |
| 2013/14 | Manchester City | Liverpool |
| 2017/18 | Manchester City | Manchester United |
The possibility of stripping titles cannot currently be ruled out because the independent commission has broad powers when deciding an appropriate sanction. However, the material supplied indicates there is little appetite within the Premier League and its clubs for retrospective titles to be removed, while legal experts cited consider points deductions and financial penalties more likely.
What Would Happen to the Titles?
Even if titles were stripped, another complicated question would immediately emerge: who gets them instead?
Manchester United finished second to City in 2011/12 and 2017/18, while Liverpool were runners-up in 2013/14.
There would be no guarantee those clubs would retrospectively become champions. Authorities could theoretically leave the titles vacant instead.
There is precedent elsewhere in football. Juventus were stripped of their 2004/05 and 2005/06 Serie A titles following the Calciopoli scandal. One was left unassigned and the other was awarded to Inter Milan. However, that case concerned match-fixing rather than financial regulations, so it is not directly comparable to City’s situation.
4. Massive Financial Penalties
City could also face significant fines.
One possibility discussed is financial penalties related to prize money earned during the period in question, although there is currently no confirmed figure or indication that this will be the eventual approach.
Financial sanctions could also potentially be combined with sporting punishments rather than used as an alternative to them.
And fines imposed by the commission may not be City’s only financial concern.
5. Could Other EPL Clubs Sue City?
Potential compensation claims could become another major part of the fallout.
The supplied reporting says Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United are among clubs understood to have signalled an intention to pursue compensation claims, potentially arguing that City’s breaches cost them titles, European qualification or other revenue.
The implications could extend beyond obvious title rivals. Clubs could potentially argue they lost European qualification, prize money or other income because of their finishing positions.
That means the financial consequences could ultimately stretch well beyond whatever fine the independent commission itself imposes.
What Happens Next?
Nothing has been decided on punishment yet.
The next major step is the sanctions hearing. Both sides will be able to make representations before the commission reaches its decision and the full verdict is published.
City have maintained their innocence and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has told supporters that the process still has a long way to run and that the club’s confidence in proving its innocence remains strong.
An appeal is widely expected once sanctions have been announced, meaning a final resolution could still be some way away.
