Can we ever gauge how much City gained on the pitch from those breaches?
What about the stretch from December 2018 to February 2023, when the club allegedly stalled Premier League probes?
Should that era also face retroactive penalties? Klopp’s Liverpool fell one point short to Guardiola’s side in both 2019 and 2022, and the German manager once joked about throwing a garden party if the titles were reassigned.
Some argue the 2009‑2018 violations laid the groundwork for Guardiola’s trophy haul, culminating in the 2023 treble.
Does that period fall within the scope of any sanction, and where would a cutoff lie?
In my view, stripping titles across nearly two decades would cheapen Premier League history and threaten its credibility, yet critics say the damage is already done after seventeen years of alleged misconduct.
There’s no Premier League precedent, but football has seen similar punishments. Juventus lost its 2005 and 2006 Serie A crowns after the Calciopoli scandal, with the first left vacant and the second handed to Inter Milan.
A British example exists too: Elgin City were deprived of the 1992‑93 Highland League title after fielding ineligible players.
Other sports offer parallels. In 2012, the UCI stripped Lance Armstrong of seven Tour de France wins for doping, and athletics regularly reallocates medals after delayed drug findings.
When financial rules are breached, the case for title removal becomes murkier; many see it as unfair to punish players and fans who had no part in the infractions.
Some warn that the ruling could strain UK‑UAE relations, imagining diplomatic friction if historic trophies were taken away.
Former midfielder Rodri brushed off speculation about losing any of the club’s honours on Friday.
“What we did, they cannot take out of us,” he said.
“It isn’t a monetary payment; it’s earned through effort, damage, and daily shoulder‑to‑shoulder battles.”
“Everything was deserved, and I’m proud to have lived through one of England’s finest football eras here.”
Yet others maintain that rewriting the official record is the only path to justice for clubs that played by the rules.
Regarding retroactive action, clubs are more likely to pursue compensation claims for lost revenue than to see titles erased.
The stakes are high. One lawyer told me, “The question isn’t whether clubs can sue… it’s how far the list of claimants actually stretches.”
“Clubs that missed out on promotion, players denied bonuses, staff left without rewards, agents who lost commissions…”
“It could become endless and potentially devastate the entire ecosystem.”
Whatever the outcome, deeper division and disruption appear inevitable.