Manchester City are facing the most consequential ruling of the Premier League era after being found responsible for 114 of the 115 financial-rule breaches brought against them, with the scale of any punishment now left to an independent commission.
The case concerns the period from 2009 to 2018, years in which City became the defining English club of the modern age. They won three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups during that spell. Yet the commission’s next decision may prove as significant as any result achieved on the pitch, with a verdict on the sanction expected in the coming weeks.
There is no fixed Premier League tariff matching individual breaches to set penalties. That is deliberate: the competition has avoided creating a system in which clubs could calculate whether a financial advantage is worth a fine or a points deduction. The commission therefore has broad scope to decide what punishment it regards as appropriate.
Everton’s case offers a reminder of the possible sporting consequences, though not necessarily a guide to City’s outcome. The Merseyside club were initially docked 10 points for one breach relating to the 2021-22 season, before that deduction was reduced to six. Given the vastly different number and nature of the allegations against City, a simple proportional comparison is not expected to apply.
Appeal likely whatever the punishment
City are expected to appeal any sanction imposed. Should that happen, a three-person appeal panel would consider whether the punishment should stand, be reduced or be removed altogether. The Premier League would also be able to appeal if it believed the commission’s decision did not go far enough.
Stripping City of trophies appears an unlikely route, not least because it would mean reopening almost a decade of English football history. It would also involve separate competitions run by different governing bodies: the Premier League, the Football Association and the EFL.
City have previous experience of overturning a major European punishment. UEFA handed the club a two-year ban from continental competition in 2020, alongside a €30 million fine. An appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport removed the ban and cut the financial penalty to €10 million.
That avenue will not be open in this case. The Premier League does not recognise the Court of Arbitration for Sport as the body to settle its domestic disciplinary disputes, leaving the competition’s own appeal process as City’s route to challenge the outcome.
