Manchester City are under growing pressure from rival Premier League clubs to receive a severe punishment after an independent commission found the club guilty of serious financial-rule breaches spanning nine seasons.
The sanction has yet to be decided, but the findings have intensified debate over whether City could face a points deduction, financial penalties or other sporting measures.
Rival clubs demand severe Manchester City punishment
Rival clubs are understood to be urging the Premier League process to move swiftly and for any penalty to reflect the seriousness of the commission’s conclusions.
Possible sanctions being discussed include a substantial points deduction, relegation and restrictions on transfers. The prospect of trophies being stripped has also been raised publicly, although there is no confirmation that this would form part of the final decision.
The commission found City guilty of all the charges relating to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules. It also found the club guilty of three of four charges concerning alleged failures to co-operate with the league’s investigation.
According to the findings, City used “sham” arrangements to inflate revenues and reduce costs between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons. The commission also concluded that the club had repeatedly attempted to frustrate the investigation.
The punishment will be determined at a separate private hearing, meaning rival clubs will have no direct role in deciding the sanction.
City have the right to appeal the findings, with 2 October set as the deadline for exercising that option. Until any appeal and the separate sanction hearing are complete, suggestions of relegation, stripped titles or a transfer ban remain possibilities rather than confirmed outcomes.
The scale of the case means pressure for a significant sporting penalty is likely to continue. For City, the key uncertainty is now what consequences the commission’s findings will bring beyond the verdict itself.
