Manchester City stand guilty of 114 financial rule breaches spanning a nine-year period, following a verdict by an independent panel that neither the club nor the Premier League have disputed. No sanctions have yet been issued, but the range of punishments under consideration stretches from a substantial fine at one end to full expulsion from the Premier League at the other.
The charges relate to the period between 2009 and 2018 and include inaccurate financial reporting tied to sponsorship income, player salaries and manager contracts, as well as failures to cooperate fully with the Premier League's investigation. Breaches of UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations and the Premier League's own Profitability and Sustainability Rules were also among the charges brought against the club.
Senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs, speaking on talkSPORT, disclosed that the Premier League are pressing for a record-breaking points deduction or outright relegation. A deduction in the range of 50 to 55 points, Jacobs said, would amount to what he described as a de facto relegation, while anything beyond that figure would constitute automatic relegation. He also revealed the possibility of a deduction spread across multiple seasons, which would severely damage the club's prospects of competing in European football.
The situation carries a further dimension. The EFL, Jacobs said, are expected to back the Premier League's position and seek to deny City entry into the lower divisions should they be removed from the top flight. That alignment raises the prospect of City being unable to compete in any tier of the English football league structure.
"Now, points deduction, like I said before, to remind you, there's precedents specifically on the PSR charges and the kind of algorithm for the points deductions of Everton and Nottingham Forest that could inform some of the punishment," Jacobs said. "But the case is much broader and my understanding is the Premier League have been pushing for a significant, a record, a ground-breaking, a severe points deduction and even having Manchester City relegated. I can also exclusively tell you that if Manchester City are kicked out of the Premier League, the EFL plan to read the verdict and they are willing in solidarity to back the Premier League position and try to keep Manchester City out of the EFL as well. So, there's a danger in a doomsday scenario that Manchester City could be kicked out of football altogether."
Despite the gravity of the verdict, the stripping of past titles is considered less probable. BBC Sport's sports editor Dan Roan reported that there has been little enthusiasm from within the Premier League — among both the organisation and its member clubs — for that particular sanction. "A points deduction, huge fine or possibly even expulsion from the Premier League are thought to be more likely," Roan said, though he noted the decision rests with an independent panel yet to hold a formal sanction hearing.
City's appeal is expected to be lodged once punishments have been formally handed down, meaning a final resolution to the case could be many months away. The substantive hearing concluded in December 2024, and the process remains ongoing. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak addressed supporters on Saturday, stating that the club's confidence in proving its innocence remains as strong as when proceedings began, and that nothing has changed in the club's position.
Sponsors may not wait for an appeal outcome. Some of the club's partners are reported to be examining the terms of their deals, with certain agreements believed to contain clauses that allow renegotiation in the event of relegation. City list 41 global and regional partners on their official website, and a drop out of the Premier League would also cost the club its place in the Champions League and the financial rewards that accompany it.
Reporting: GiveMeSport, TeamTalk, Daily Mail, Mirror, talkSPORT, The Sun, CaughtOffside, Football Insider, Daily Star, ESPN.