Five Premier League officials will decide Manchester City.
The league’s board must propose a penalty after September’s bombshell that an independent commission found the club guilty of financial rule breaches.
A three‑person commission will hand down the final sanction, but the Premier League’s recommendation and City’s appeal will both be weighed.
No hearing date is set, and the league could impose a fine, points dock, expulsion or strip titles – it calls this its biggest disciplinary test.
Who sits on the Premier League board, and how have their past punishment proposals been received?
Beyond other duties, the board prosecutes any breach of Premier League regulations.
It includes the chair, chief executive and three independent non‑executive directors – no club reps, ensuring neutrality.
Do Manchester City have any grounds to win their appeal?
How much did Man City’s rule breaking cost your team?
Alison Brittain has kept a low profile since becoming the league’s first female chair almost four years ago, after a career in hospitality and finance and chairing The King’s Trust Group.
Described as “sensible” by an acquaintance, she told a university audience in September that she was initially sceptical about joining a sport she’d never worked in.
Two senior club executives – former Arsenal chief Vinai Venkatesham (now at Spurs) and ex‑Aston Villa boss Christian Purslow – convinced her her skill set was exactly what the league needed.
She recalled: “They told me they weren’t after a super‑fan but someone with a business mindset and governance standards to reset things.”
A lifelong Manchester United fan from the Stretford End, Brittain now backs Brentford and earned unanimous club support in 2025 for a second three‑year term.
Speaking in 2024, she admitted the league faces challenges but praised it as the world’s most exciting competition and a massive soft‑power asset for Britain.
She said the league’s purpose is to keep competitive balance strong, creating a virtuous circle where any side can win on any day.
She added clubs would rather dominate than preserve balance, so someone must guard it.
When asked if that’s her job, she answered, “Absolutely – that’s my job.”
Purslow notes Brittain’s people skills and diplomacy keep twenty owners reasonably happy, describing her as down‑to‑earth and straightforward.
The league’s chief executive since 2019, Richard Masters, is a far more familiar face to fans.
After the commission’s core decision in September, he said it vindicates the Premier League’s pursuit of the case and stresses the duty to uphold club‑approved rules.
He stressed it’s paramount the league stays competitive and fair for clubs and fans, a responsibility taken seriously.
Masters warned elements remain undecided, especially the sanction, and pledged swift action to give certainty to the league, clubs and supporters.
A self‑confessed Aston Villa fan, Masters told a parliamentary committee in 2024 that the board applies rules consistently, no matter the club.
The board also includes three other directors:
Mai Fyfield – a former Sky executive who led three Premier League TV‑cycle bids and now serves on the BBC Commercial board.
Dharmash Mistry – a tech venture capitalist, ex‑BBC non‑executive, described as smart and theoretical, chairs the audit and finance committee and sits on the FA board.
The City case is unprecedented in scale, making past precedents only a rough guide; commissions often diverge from the league’s recommendations.
In 2023 the league pushed for a 12‑point dock on Everton, but the commission settled on ten, later reduced to six on appeal.
In 2024 the league suggested eight points off Nottingham Forest, yet the commission imposed four.
This season the league argued for a 12‑point cut to Leicester in the Championship, but the commission advised six points instead.
Clubs can also avoid contested hearings.
Earlier this year the board struck a sanctions agreement with Chelsea: a £10m fine and a suspended transfer ban after the club admitted secret £47m payments to agents.
The league said Chelsea’s proactive self‑reporting and full cooperation were major mitigating factors.
25 September 2026
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