Manchester City has reportedly been found guilty on “virtually all” of the 115 charges of Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches brought by the Premier League, setting the stage for potentially severe repercussions. While neither the league nor the club has officially confirmed the verdict, the decision follows a two-year process since the charges were first levied in 2023.
The accusations against the reigning Premier League champions relate to alleged financial irregularities spanning a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. During this time, City secured eight major trophies, a period that began shortly after the club’s takeover by Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Mansour in 2008. The charges specifically allege that Manchester City inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and made “off the books” payments to circumvent football’s financial regulations. The club has consistently denied any wrongdoing, with Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak previously releasing a statement affirming City’s innocence and commitment to proving it, though he could not comment further due to strict confidentiality.
Potential punishments for City
This case represents the highest number of charges ever reported in a single instance within the sport, and the potential punishments are wide-ranging. While Manchester City has the right to appeal any verdict, a final sanction is still some time away. According to BBC reports, the most likely penalties include:
- A significant points deduction
- A substantial financial fine
- Expulsion from the Premier League
Premier League rules explicitly list fines, points deductions, or expulsion as possible punishments. However, the rules also grant a disciplinary commission panel the authority to impose “any penalty as it shall think fit,” which theoretically could extend to retrospectively applied points deductions or even the stripping of past titles.
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Stripping titles unlikely despite rival interest
Despite the theoretical possibility, there appears to be little appetite from within the Premier League, both the organisation and its clubs, for past titles to be stripped from Manchester City, as reported by BBC Sport. Nevertheless, rival clubs are actively conducting their own assessments and legal processes to understand potential financial compensation. These clubs aim to recover money lost after missing out on titles or Champions League qualification during the period of alleged breaches.
One notable voice on the matter has been Jose Mourinho, who managed Manchester United when they finished second to City by 19 points in the 2018 Premier League season. Reflecting on that campaign, Mourinho famously stated, “I think we still have a chance to win that league, and then they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal.”
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