Premier League clubs suggest fair punishment for Man City after guilty verdict
Several Premier League clubs have shared their thoughts on what punishment Manchester City should face if the independent commission’s guilty verdict is confirmed after appeal.
After a long investigation, City were found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges by the Premier League. These charges cover the years 2009 to 2018, during which City won three Premier League titles.
Last week, the Premier League revealed that City had used fake contracts to boost their revenue numbers and cut costs.
City were found to have hidden funding deals worth more than £830 million with commercial partners. The commission also said that many club witnesses gave false or dishonest evidence during the investigation.
There are several possible punishments, such as suspending City from the league, deducting points, replaying matches, expelling them, making them pay compensation to other clubs, relegating them, or even taking away their titles.
On Tuesday (October 6), BBC Sport reported that many Premier League clubs want City to face both “retrospective punishment” and penalties for breaking financial rules.
A source said at least four clubs believe a one-time points deduction, which could lead to relegation, wouldn’t be a fair punishment for City’s actions.
One senior club official told BBC Sport that City should lose the three titles they won from 2009 to 2018, although there’s no call to hand these trophies to other clubs.
BBC Sport says some people in the Premier League think any points deduction should be spread over several seasons. They also believe transfer bans lasting multiple windows would make it harder for City to bounce back quickly.
One club source said it would be “bizarre” if City were allowed to buy and sell players in the January transfer window while the case and sanctions are still unresolved.
Some clubs feel they haven’t been kept fully informed about the Premier League’s timeline and plans for the appeal and sanctions. However, they also understand how tough the situation is for the league because of the serious issues and ongoing legal process.
At the same time, there’s an idea to create a “tariff-based system” to compensate rival clubs based on where they would have finished if City hadn’t been in the league.
Manchester City say they are innocent and filed an appeal on October 1. They claim to have “clear and solid evidence” supporting their case.
In a statement, City said: “On Thursday 1st October 2026, we lodged our full appeal against the Premier League’s decision. We believe there are clear errors in their ruling, and we are innocent of the accusations made.
We will respect the process but can’t say more until everything is finished.”
The appeal hearing will last up to 12 weeks, and the decision is expected within 30 days after it ends. A three-person panel will handle the appeal.
City will play Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday (October 11).
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