Gary Neville says there’s just one fair punishment for Man City if their appeal against the Premier League decision doesn’t work.
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has said that if Manchester City’s guilty verdict is confirmed after their appeal, the club’s owners should step down.
City were found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges by the Premier League after an independent review. These charges cover the years between 2009 and 2018, during which City won three Premier League titles.
Possible punishments include losing points, being suspended from the league, paying compensation, relegation, or even being kicked out of the league. They could also lose their titles.
Neville, who owns League Two team Salford City FC, told Sky Sports that City’s owners, Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), should not be allowed to keep their position if the guilty verdict stands, as they have “dragged English football through the mud.”
He said, “It’s hard to see how the Man City owners can pass the owners’ and directors’ test in this country if the verdict stays. Because of past problems with club owners, the rules are stricter now. It would be hard for the Man City owners to keep their status.
“Football clubs are important to their fans and cities, so owners must follow the rules and laws. The right punishment is to apply the owners’ and directors’ test first, and then decide if their achievements during that time should still count.
“If I were Man City, I’d gladly accept a fine or points deduction, even if it was big, because that only hurts temporarily. Owning a football club in this country is a big responsibility and should be taken seriously.
“We shouldn’t just focus on fines and points. The two most important things are the titles won during that time and what happens to the owners and executives who were in charge.”
The Premier League said earlier that City had arranged secret funding deals worth over £830 million with supposed commercial partners to make their finances look better and cover costs. City deny any wrongdoing and say they have “strong evidence” to prove their case.
The club confirmed on October 2 that they have appealed the verdict. They said: “At 7pm on October 1, 2026, the Club filed a full Appeal against the Premier League Commission’s decision. We believe the decision has clear errors in law, principle, and fact, and is unsafe.
“We are innocent of the Premier League’s accusations and have strong evidence to back our position. We will respect the process and cannot say more until the case is finished.”
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