It has taken more than three years, but the battle between Manchester City and the Premier League finally appears to have taken a step forward.
On Friday, as reported by the Athletic, it was revealed that the eight-time title winners had been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges levied against them for breaches of financial rules.
The Premier League have yet to officially confirm the verdict, while City bosses have said the process remains ongoing. City have always vehemently denied any wrongdoing and look certain to appeal any guilty verdict.
That means rather than the saga reaching a neat conclusion, this could still drag on for a number of years. Due to the unprecedented volume of charges against the club, it is unknown how harsh a punishment may be placed upon them.
The Premier League has plenty of options of the table, ranging from financial fines and transfer bans to points deduction and – the nuclear option – of expelling them from the top-flight altogether.
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There is also the possibility of City being stripped of the league titles won during the impacted years, while Premier League rivals consider legal action and compensation for a multitude of reasons they were affected.
In short. It’s a mess that doesn’t seem like it will be resolved shortly. But rather than dodge red tape, appeals and legal concerns, we have asked our writers how City should be punished…if the guilty verdict is upheld.
John Cross
The scale of the case is unprecedented – and so it has to be a punishment to match.
If Manchester City are ultimately found guilty of these charges – and they are certain to appeal – then it has to be a points deduction which would see them relegated.
Plus a transfer ban and a fine to make a real difference. It’s not as if they couldn’t afford it, but something for the good of the game.
I don’t think there’s a will from other clubs to see them stripped of titles and I’m not sure that’s such a great idea. I do think we have to think of the fans (innocent in this) and it’s bad enough to potentially have an asterisk by their achievements anyway.
Furthermore, if they were expelled, the EFL are not obliged to take them. It’s already messy with other clubs potentially suing. And who can blame them?
But I don’t think this is going to be resolved any time soon. An appeal could drag on once lawyers get involved.
Here’s the nightmare scenario: City have been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules, they appeal and yet the title race continues like nothing has happened.
There is a set timescale which should conclude relatively quickly… but only relative to the eight years in which these allegations were first made public. The league must move quickly to save the season and its integrity.
HAVE YOUR SAY? How should Man City be punished if they are found guilty?
Ben Husband
First of all, I think stripping them of the titles won sets a really dangerous precedent. It also means the Premier League are essentially accepting years of their product didn’t matter. Yes, they need to protect the integrity of the competition, but retroactively stripping and awarding trophies opens a box that will be very difficult to close.
Thanks to the sheer weight of charges, a points deduction…and a big one feels like the most likely outcome. And it should be severe enough to reflect the breaches. But when will it be triggered?
Do the Premier League cross their fingers and hope an appeal is wrapped up before the 2026/27 season ends and do it for this year? However, that would mean bosses know exactly the impact of any sanctions and would leave one side very unhappy.
The cleanest resolution is a big points deduction, put in place at the start of a league campaign. And from a selifish point of view, It would be blockbuster viewing to see if they were able to stay in the league with it in place.
Daniel Orme
I don’t think stripping Man City of their titles is the way to go. The allegations taint them, sure, but City still won those trophies and nobody realistically wants to be retrospectively awarded them no matter what they say.
And a fine doesn’t really do much. They’re only in this mess because of the money that they’ve spent – what good does asking them to cough up even more do?
I think the only way to go is either a massive points deduction or relegation – potentially even both.
After all, these punitive measures are meant to serve as a warning to other clubs that should they follow suit, they will get punished similarly. No club will realistically go down the same route should they know a place in League Two – and indeed the hit in revenue that comes with it – is the consequence.
Of course, some will argue that it punishes the fans as well. But real and ardent City fans will continue following their club no matter what division they happen to be in.
Dan Burnham
If you cheated to win them, you don’t deserve to keep your titles – but equally those who finished runners-up don’t deserve to inherit them either. That unfortunately leaves a big black hole in the modern era of English football, albeit one that’s a necessity.Fining one of the world’s richest clubs is pointless. They need sanctions that will actually rock them, and that has to be at the very least an unprecedented points deduction that all but guarantees relegation and a transfer ban that sends shivers down the spine of any club that dares consider flouting the rules going forward.
Abbie Meehan
If you are thinking like almost every other Premier League fan, the best course of action seems to be the highest form of punishment. Noel Gallagher makes the point that the players won the trophies on the pitch and were not directly involved in boardroom behaviour.
But the question is, would these players have been on the pitch had it not been for the rule breaches? A fair punishment would be an insurmountable fine and a points deduction to deter other sides from taking the risk.
Would that be enough? In the eyes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham fans, probably not. But as a somewhat casual Premier League watcher, the best form of punishment would be to put other clubs off from following in City’s footsteps.
Tom Sunderland
If Man City’s rap sheet isn’t the straw that breaks the camel’s back in policing the Premier League’s spending, it’s as good as saying there are no laws worth adhering to. It also sends the message to other suitors interested in investing that England’s top flight is open for all kinds of underhanded business if you can be shrewd enough in your accounting.
Just as Lance Armstrong and sprint stars of times past have been stripped of titles, this level of financial doping must be met with the most extreme punishment. Given Everton and Nottingham Forest were docked points for ‘minor’ infractions, a 100-point deduction for 114 guilty cases should be the starting point, in addition to massive financial penalties.
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