Manchester City are braced for heavy sanctions from the Premier League
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Manchester City are to be found guilty of almost all the charges against the club
Manchester City are to be found guilty of almost all the charges against the club (Getty)
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Manchester City are set to be found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges made by the Premier League, in a seismic moment for English football.
An independent commission is poised to announce the results of its four-year investigation into the case, according to The Athletic. No sanctions have yet been decided, but City are expected to appeal against the ruling.
Follow the latest as City braced for major verdict – live
The Premier League said the alleged breaches took place between 2009 and 2018, and related to providing accurate financial information and failing to comply with profit and sustainability rules (PSR). Other charges included an accusation of failing to co-operate with the Premier League’s investigation, which was prompted by the Football Leaks revelations.
City have been England’s most successful team since the club’s fortunes were transformed by Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008. The club won the Premier League three times between 2009 and 2018, a period in which the club also won one FA Cup and three League Cups.
Under former manager Pep Guardiola, City won the Premier League in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, including an unprecedented run of four in a row. In 2023, the club also won the Champions League for the first time, completing a historic ‘Treble’ of major prizes.
City had previously denied any wrongdoing throughout the process and expressed their “surprise” when they were referred to an independent commission.
Could City be expelled from the Premier League?
The short answer is yes, but there are a wide range of punishments available to the top-flight’s authorities. Sanctions could include fines and/or points deductions, and even expulsion as a member of the Premier League, which would require City to rebuild from the lower leagues.
Rule W.51 of the Premier League is the relevant section of its regulations, and it states that options for sanctioning a club found guilty of breaches include the powers to:
“Suspend it from playing in League Matches”
“Deduct points scored or to be scored in League Matches”
“Recommend that the League expels the Respondent from membership”
“Order the Respondent to pay compensation unlimited in amount to any Person or to any Club”
The rules state that any combination of punishments could be applied, and that penalties could be conditional or contingent on a “defined action” being taken.