An independent commission declared Manchester City guilty of every breach of Premier League financial rules from the 2009‑10 season through 2017‑18. Could this damning finding finally trigger real change?
Manchester City have lodged an appeal, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority is set to review the report for any signs of possible misconduct.
A consensus appears to be forming among senior club executives: if the appeal fails, penalties should both compensate for the violated period and curb the club’s future leverage.
At least four Premier League boardrooms argue that a single‑season points deduction, even if it leads to relegation, would not match the gravity of City’s infractions.
The exact nature of a fitting punishment remains debated for the eight‑time champions, who were found culpable of all serious financial violations in the commission’s scathing report.
One senior club insider insists City should lose their trophies, adding there’s ‘no great rush’ to redistribute them but rather to leave the honours vacant. In my view, stripping the titles is the only fair remedy.
The source warns the league’s credibility would crumble if City were permitted to retain the eight major trophies earned during the period of proven misconduct.
Executives fear a one‑season sanction would merely be a ‘bump in the road’, given City’s likely swift return to the top flight.
Consequently, several league figures suggest spreading any points penalty over several seasons and imposing multi‑window transfer bans to truly hamper City’s rapid comeback. Will the authorities adopt such layered sanctions?