Manchester City are still waiting to learn the punishment that will follow the Premier League’s long-running case, with any final outcome expected to face an appeal and keep the process running well beyond the initial verdict.
Key takeaways
- A finding of guilt against City was reported last Friday.
- No final sporting sanction has yet been confirmed.
- An appeal is expected, meaning the case is far from its last whistle.
- A former senior Premier League executive proposed deductions of 20 to 25 points per season.
- That suggested penalty would have run for between three and five campaigns.
A punishment designed to change the table
The proposed points deduction was outlined by Adam Crafton after he spoke to a former high-ranking Premier League official who had put forward the idea when the affair emerged in 2023.
Under that approach, City would lose between 20 and 25 points in each of the next three to five seasons. The intended effect would be severe without necessarily sending the club through the drop: regular qualification for the Champions League would become extremely difficult, while City could be left marooned in mid-table for a prolonged spell.
It is one possible model rather than an agreed outcome. There remains no indication that such a punishment has been adopted by those deciding the case.
Long road still ahead
The scale of the suggested deduction underlines the breadth of possible sanctions being discussed around what has been described as English football’s trial of the century. For now, however, the picture remains uncertain.
City’s eventual penalty has yet to be set out, and an appeal would add another substantial stage to proceedings. Until a final decision arrives, the talk of points deductions, European places and where City might finish in future league tables remains speculation rather than a settled Premier League verdict.
