Manchester City are facing severe punishment after being found guilty of 114 of their 115 Premier League charges.
Manchester City Trophy Parade
Manchester City could be stripped of several Premier League titles (Image: Getty)
Manchester City have been found guilty of virtually all counts of breaching the Premier League's financial rules. The club were charged in February 2023 with more than 100 breaches of league rules, charges which City strenuously denied. Now, City have been found guilty on almost all of those charges by an independent commission, but City will appeal the verdict. Potential sanctions are undecided at this stage.
The Premier League declined to comment. While a City spokesperson 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 that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence."
Manchester City deserve the harshest of penalties. Their Premier League titles are tainted and only when the full findings are released will we know the scale of injustice.
But if guilty, and an appeal is unsuccessful, there is no other decision but to expel them from the top flight and remove their titles concerning the period they were breaching financial regulations.
City’s modern legacy is built on the money spent since 2008. An example must be set or what is stopping huge conglomerates for making a mockery out of English football’s most prized possession.
Rules are rules, City broke them and they'll have to face up to the punishment. It's up to the powers that be to determine exactly how, but for the biggest case in English sporting history, surely the biggest punishment is the only possible outcome.
I actually don't think relegation is the appropriate punishment. City would only do a Rangers - win every title and come back up to the top flight and immediately be contenders again. In fact, they’d probably enjoy a throwback to the old Maine Road days! Nor should they be stripped of their previous titles. That would be unbelievably messy and the team that finished second have already been robbed of their celebrations anyway, so in my opinion, a retrospective title doesn't do much for anyone.
A points deduction is a better solution - but would the Premier League want to do that this year, given it would effectively crown Arsenal champions already? I'm not sure. And can they just suspend to it next season? Not really, because imagine the chaos if City then won this season’s title.
One punishment I think City should definitely receive if their appeal is unsuccessful is a massive transfer ban. The biggest the league has ever dished out. I think they should be stopped from signing new players for perhaps 3-4 years. Sales would be allowed but replacements would not, instead the club would need to use their academy. That and a historically large fine - perhaps even £100m or more.
Manchester City v Huddersfield Town - Premier League
Manchester City could lose their 2017-18 title (Image: Getty)
First and foremost, whatever punishment is handed down needs to serve as a deterrent, so no other club is tempted to flaunt the rules in such a manner. The sanction, therefore, needs to be as harsh as possible and should result in City being kicked out of the Premier League and stripped of their domestic titles.
In some ways, that would be a crying shame for English football, leaving a significant part of the last decade forever tainted. City only have themselves to blame, though. If they hadn't have broken the rules, they wouldn't have found themselves in this unprecedented situation.
A measly fine or points deduction simply won't do. It's time for the Premier League to be brave and use their authority to stand up for what is right.
The Premier League must throw the book at Manchester City if they have, in fact, committed 114 breaches of financial regulations. In an era where newly-promoted clubs are well and truly up against it to survive their first season in the English top flight, the ‘big six’ are continually allowed to bridge the gap further and further.
We’re navigating uncharted waters, considering no club has ever committed such a substantial breach of the rules, and therefore, a simple points deduction and transfer embargo will not suffice.
Regardless of how much of a hit the EPL will take for doing so, they must reach an agreement with the EFL to relegate City and make them earn their right to play in the English top flight. All of the trophies they won as a result of their breaches must also be divvied to runners-up, in my opinion, given they did not fairly win those pieces of silverware.
That will teach clubs to take a more reserved approach to spending going forward, and ensure that they understand the consequences for breaching the rules.
It is quite clear that City have be both stripped of their titles and handed a points deduction that relegates them from the Premier League. The problem is that the appeal process will almost certainly be a lengthy one and thus the sanctions being imposed this season is highly unlikely.
My hope is that given their failures to co-operate and number of breaches means that their appeal is immediately dismissed and that results in them being punished severely over the coming months.