Several Premier League clubs want Manchester City to face multi-season bans and be stripped of titles over financial breaches spanning nearly a decade. The demand comes after an independent commission found City guilty of all charges related to violations of the league’s financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
City have appealed the verdict. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is also reviewing the findings to check for possible misconduct. But sources close to the league say a group of senior club executives agree that any punishment must reach beyond a single season. They want sanctions that compensate for the period of wrongdoing while limiting City’s future powers.
At least four Premier League boardrooms believe a single points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would be too lenient. One senior club source said City should be stripped of their titles, adding there was “no great rush” to redistribute trophies to other clubs. Instead, they want those titles left vacant. The source warned that the Premier League’s credibility would suffer if City kept the eight major trophies they won while breaking the rules.
However, views vary across the league. BBC Sport previously reported that some clubs showed little appetite for stripping City’s titles. The debate includes whether penalties should be retrospective and how severe future sanctions should be.
Some Premier League figures argue that a one-season punishment would be just a “bump in the road” given City’s likely swift return to the top flight. Several executives favour a points deduction spread over multiple seasons. There is also support for transfer bans covering multiple windows to slow City’s ability to regain Premier League status.
One club source described it as “bizarre, almost obtuse” if City were allowed to participate in the upcoming January transfer window while sanctions remain unresolved.
Some clubs have expressed frustration over a lack of transparency from the Premier League on the appeal’s schedule and the timing of sanctions. A source said there was “empathy” for the league’s difficult position amid ongoing legal processes.
On financial reparations, one idea gaining traction is a “tariff-based system.” Under this model, City’s past league finishes would be adjusted through points deductions. Rival clubs would then be compensated based on where they might have finished without City’s breaches.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca is scheduled to address players collectively after international duty on Thursday. City’s next Premier League match, against Liverpool, is on Sunday at 16:30 BST. This will be their first game since the verdict.
Merseyside Police have received queries about the Liverpool home fixture. The force said it would have “an appropriate policing operation in place on the day.” Liverpool sources told BBC Sport that preparations remain “business as usual,” with no special measures beyond regular meetings between the club, supporters, and authorities.
One source added supporters have “the right to express their feelings” but hoped no one would “overstep the mark.”
According to Joy Online.
