Across the north of England, the implications of Manchester City’s financial case would reach far beyond the Etihad Stadium if the proposed sporting penalties are imposed. The club has been found guilty of 114 of the 115 financial breaches brought against it, relating to the period from 2009 to 2018, opening the prospect of sanctions ranging from a points deduction to expulsion from the Premier League.
One possible outcome would be the removal of honours won during the years covered by the case. In that scenario, City could lose seven domestic trophies, with each prize reassigned to the side that finished as runner-up.
Three league championships would be affected. Manchester United would inherit the 2011-12 Premier League title, remembered for City’s dramatic final-day finish, and would also receive the 2017-18 crown. Liverpool, meanwhile, would be awarded the 2013-14 title.
The consequences would also extend to Wembley and the League Cup. Stoke City would take City’s 2011 FA Cup and the 2017-18 League Cup, while Sunderland would be handed the 2013-14 League Cup. Liverpool would add the 2015-16 League Cup to its honours list.
Stripping titles is only one of the punishments under consideration. A deduction of league points, or even relegation from the top flight, would carry a different kind of weight: not merely rewriting old trophy lists, but changing Manchester City’s place in English football’s present and future.
