Alan Brazil has claimed on talkSPORT that he is ‘hearing’ Manchester City could be docked as many as 60 points, citing two separate sources - though he conceded the claim ‘might be nonsense’.
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The guessing game over Manchester City’s eventual punishment is still going on, eight days after the Premier League issued their official statement concerning the independent commission's verdict.
And the newest suggestion to enter the conversation is a grim one for Manchester City fans to read, arriving not from a courtroom or boardroom, but from the studios of a major broadcaster.
With the football world still waiting to learn what sanctions, if any, will follow City’s guilty verdict - which they are currently appealing - talkSPORT presenter Alan Brazil has tossed a dramatic number into the debate, albeit with a healthy pinch of salt on the side.
Brazil: “I’m hearing 60 point deduction”
Speaking during his latest appearance on talkSPORT, the veteran broadcaster prefaced his claim with a caveat of his own.
“This might be nonsense, but two different sources have told me this,” Alan Brazil said. “I’m hearing 60 point deduction, which would please people and it still gives City a chance of surviving.”
Brazil was less sure about the timing, however, as he continued, “I don’t know whether that’s this season, I can’t see how it could be this season because by the time they get it through it’ll be too late."
As his breakfast show colleague Ally McCoist speculated, even that might not go far enough for some fans. “I think a lot of people wouldn’t think that’s enough,” McCoist said. “Obviously we’ll have to wait and see how this appeal goes.”
UEFA are keeping a close watch on Manchester City's ongoing Premier League disciplinary proceedings and will not move to take any action of their own until the full process has been concluded, as per a new report.cityxtra.co.ukUEFA are keeping a close watch on Manchester City's ongoing Premier League disciplinary proceedings and will not move to take any action of their own until the full process has been concluded, as per a new report.
UEFA Monitor Man City Situation and Await Appeal Conclusion in New Punishment Threat
A number to treat with caution
It should be stressed that this is speculation rather than anything with roots in a reputable source, as far as we know. No sanction has been decided, and nothing from the Premier League or independent commission has pointed to a specific sanction.
Even so, the number alone is enough to make Manchester City supporters wince, as a 60-point deduction would dwarf anything seen in the English game to date.
Everton were docked points twice in 2023/24 - 10 initially before it was trimmed to six on appeal - while Nottingham Forest lost four, each punishment following a single breach of profit and sustainability rules.
A blow of 60 in a single campaign would mean Manchester City would have to be nearly perfect in the league to have a chance of avoiding relegation into next season's EFL Championship.
Where things actually stand
At least for now, the reality is rather more mundane than the noise, as Manchester City continue to deny all wrongdoing, have launched an appeal against a verdict they branded “unsafe”, and will face no sanction unless, and until, that appeal is dismissed.
Alan Brazil is not alone in reaching for dramatic figures, as rival clubs have reportedly lobbied for a punishment harsh enough to relegate City and keep them down, while others in the game have suggested deductions spread across several seasons rather than one.
Manchester City supporters, already weary of a story that dominates every back page, could be forgiven for tuning such talk out. Brazil’s claim is only the latest in a long line of suggestions, best filed alongside the rest until something official finally emerges.