Man City are still awaiting the outcome of the 115 alleged charges put against them (Image: James Gill – Danehouse, Getty Images) This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Three football finance experts have shared their views on the scale of Manchester City’s punishment should they be found guilty of the 115 charges brought against them. City and the Premier League still await the final ruling on the potential breaches, which some reports suggest are actually as many as 130, for allegedly breaching financial regulations between 2009 and 2018 — a period during which City claimed three league titles.
The hearing into City’s alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations concluded in December 2024 after a 12-week tribunal but the independent commission has yet to announce its verdict. City have denied any wrongdoing and are understood to be confident of being cleared. However, should City be found guilty of the potential violations, precedent indicates that sporting sanctions would be the primary form of punishment. Possible penalties being discussed range from having their titles stripped to substantial points deductions severe enough to result in the club’s relegation from the top flight.
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In the most severe outcome, they could not only witness titles from 2012, 2014 and 2018 stripped but also have forthcoming seasons affected. City are currently engaged in a title race with Arsenal, with Pep Guardiola’s team able to close the deficit on the Gunners at the top to just three points with victory in Sunday afternoon’s encounter. But, even if they go on to lift the trophy this season, there is a possibility that this success could be affected by the outcome of the case, in the event that it is not pushed further down the road.
Stefan Borson, a football finance expert, argues that the penalty must be “transformative” if the “disguised equity” charges levelled against City are proven. While Borson recognises stripping titles is an option available to the commission, he claims it may be less practical than huge points deductions. He has noted that a “sanction hearing” following a guilty verdict could take months, making retrospective title changes a legal minefield.
Borson said while appearing on The Room Where It Happened: “If the worst case for Manchester City is established, I think the independent panel will go for a very large points deduction which will guarantee relegation. That to me seems the most obvious punishment but also the most obvious way to achieve what they will want to achieve from that sanction.
Experts think it’s unlikely that previous titles will be chalked off (Image: Getty Images)
“Because in the worst case scenario for Manchester City, it seems obvious to me that the punishment will be very severe. It seems very unlikely to me that the case that’s set out against Man City is established. But, if it is, the punishment will be severe.”
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire, author of The Price of Football, similarly suggests that a substantial points deduction, potentially within the 40 to 60-point bracket, is more likely than stripping past titles. He points out that the Premier League would prefer to “look forward” rather than “rewrite history,” as stripping titles creates “ghost champions” and complicates commercial and broadcasting rights already settled years ago.
He said on The Overlap Fan Debate: “I think you have to add a zero to what we’ve seen from Forest and Everton, so somewhere between a 40 and 60-point deduction would, I think, on merit, be consistent with what we’ve seen from other decisions on logic. If they want to go further then we don’t know the severity.” Maguire expects that a verdict could be delivered in the coming months.
Arsenal and Man City are in the midst of a title battle (Image: Getty)
Dr Dan Plumley, who has been involved in the sports business sector since 2006, also holds the view that a points deduction and financial penalty would represent the most likely punishment should City be found guilty. He added: “If City were to be found guilty, then all of those things would potentially be on the table as sanctions and the Premier League could push for any or a combination of. It is really difficult to predict what any outcome could be as there is no precedent.
“We will always be in the realms of speculation until we know, but if I were to speculate, I would suggest that a points deduction and fine would be most likely, with relegation and title stripping being the extreme, but unlikely, scenarios.”
Premier League chief Richard Masters has remained tight-lipped since the charges were announced. He has nonetheless stressed that the league’s regulations permit “any sanction” the commission deems appropriate. Some view this as the league keeping the “title stripping” possibility on the table to pressure the commission into a meaningful punishment, even if they don’t expect it to be the primary outcome.