Liverpool and other Premier League clubs will be waiting to find out Manchester City's potential punishment after being found guilty of nearly all of its 115 charges, with relegation a possibility
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Manchester City, celebrates with his players after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester City and Sunderland at Etihad Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
Manchester City could face relegation from the Premier League after being found guilty(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester City's future in the Premier League may hang in the balance after being found guilty of nearly all of the charges brought about by the Premier League.
Three years on from the club receiving 115 charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations, City has now reportedly been found guilty on all but one of those.
Speaking back in 2024, Stefan Borson, the club's former financial advisor, issued a stark warning, suggesting that relegation could be on the horizon now that it has been found guilty. The revelation comes as Liverpool awaits any potential punishment for its rival.
While Everton and Nottingham Forest were also charged with breaching the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability rules, Borson argued that City's case is on a completely different level. He highlighted the gravity of the situation, telling talkSPORT: "There can be no question that this will end in at least relegation — that's no question if those charges are proven. There's a suggestion of conspiracy over effectively a 10-year period.
"They [Premier League] are suggesting that City's main sponsorship agreements are not for £50-60m but are actually for £8m and the whole thing was a sham," Borson continued. "That a whole load of people lied and a whole load of executives from multiple companies were in on it and that the club also lied to multiple other parties. Professionals, people doing due diligence on the company, the league, UEFA, the FA."
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 5: A general exterior view of Etihad Stadium, home stadium of Manchester City ahead of the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester City and Coventry City at Etihad Stadium on September 5, 2026 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester City has reportedly been found guilty on nearly all of the charges brought against it by the Premier League(Image: Getty Images)
City previously faced accusations of financial misdeeds by UEFA but successfully appealed their two-year European ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020. Borson suggested that City would once again prove their innocence, citing the difficulty in substantiating the Premier League's claims.
"I think they [City] will clear their name because I think a case of this nature has to have a level of cogent proof, which seems to me to be impossible to present to an independent commission," Borson said. "It seems highly unlikely that the conduct that is alleged has taken place over a 10-year period with the sorts of individuals who are involved in the club and in the companies involved."
Content Image
Content Image
The Athletic, which broke the story on Friday, has indicated that no sanctions have yet been decided, with all possibilities remaining on the table, although City is expected to appeal.
A spokesman for the club said: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.
“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpol ECHO by clicking here. An original version of this article was first published on January 1, 2024.