Here’s a list of every team that would’ve made it to the Champions League if Man City’s results from 2008 to 2018 had been changed.
If Manchester City’s results from the 115 charges were overturned, five Premier League teams could have made it to the Champions League instead. After nearly four years, football fans finally got the verdict on Friday about the 115 Premier League charges against Manchester City.
City was found guilty of all but one charge. As they decide on the penalties, one team stands out as the biggest loser—Tottenham Hotspur missed out on a Champions League spot four times because of City’s recent success.
Between the 2008/09 and 2017/18 seasons, the time covered by the charges, City qualified for the Champions League eight times. In 2010/11, the year City returned to the Champions League, Tottenham would have qualified instead as they finished fifth.
The 2011/12 season is more complex. Chelsea won the Champions League that year despite finishing sixth, which pushed Tottenham, who came fourth, into the Europa League. It’s likely Spurs would have moved into the top three and qualified alongside Chelsea.
In 2012/13, Tottenham would again have benefited, replacing City who came second. In 2013/14, Everton, who finished fifth, would have qualified instead of City. The next season, Tottenham would have taken City’s spot again.
In 2015/16, local rivals Manchester United would have qualified after finishing on the same points as City. The 2016/17 season would have seen Arsenal qualify, finishing just one point outside the top four. Finally, in 2017/18, Chelsea would have taken City’s place after finishing fifth.
Overall, Tottenham missed out the most—four times—while Everton, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea missed out once each.
City is expected to appeal the verdict. If the ruling stands, some Premier League clubs might take legal action for compensation. Reports say several clubs have already talked to lawyers about possibly launching lawsuits in the next few months, as they could claim financial losses from missing out on Champions League spots.
The clubs affected are believed to have lost the most money, with City possibly facing huge legal claims from their rivals. But any legal action will have to wait until the appeal process is finished. So, for now, we’ll have to wait and see what happens next for Manchester City.