The football world has finally received the verdict everyone has been waiting years for. An independent Premier League commission has found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them for breaching financial regulations, a decision that could reshape the legacy of one of the most dominant clubs in Premier League history.
Eight Years in the Making
To understand the magnitude of this moment, it helps to rewind to February 2023, when the Premier League charged Manchester City with 115 breaches of financial rules covering a nine-season period stretching back to 2009. The charges ranged from failing to provide accurate financial information to not cooperating fully with the league’s investigation. An independent three-person commission finally concluded its lengthy hearing in December 2024, but the wait for a verdict dragged on for months longer than almost anyone anticipated, with Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admitting the process was taking “longer than anyone expected.”
Now, according to reporting from The Athletic and Reuters, the panel has ruled against City on all but one of those charges. A club statement has pointed back to its original February 2023 position, insisting the process has remained fair and independent, while multiple reports confirm City intend to appeal the outcome once sanctions are formally announced.
So What Punishment Could Actually Follow?
This is the question gripping football fans everywhere right now, and the honest answer is that nobody outside the commission knows for certain yet, because no sanction has been confirmed. However, financial experts have been speculating for years about what a guilty verdict might mean, and the range of predictions is staggering.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has consistently argued that a points deduction is the most likely outcome rather than relegation, explaining that the Premier League simply does not have the authority to demote a club to League One or League Two, since that falls under EFL jurisdiction. Instead, Maguire has suggested a deduction “somewhere in the region of 60 to 100 points” if City are found guilty of the more serious financial misrepresentation charges, while lesser non-cooperation charges could instead attract a heavy fine, similar to the reduced 10 million euro penalty UEFA once handed City.
Other voices within the game have gone even further. One unnamed Premier League executive was quoted suggesting an appropriate sanction would need to be a deduction of 70 to 80 points, enough to effectively guarantee relegation form without technically ordering it.
For context, Everton and Nottingham Forest were docked 6 and 4 points respectively last season for breaches covering just a three-year window, a fraction of the nine-year period at the heart of City’s case.
A Transfer Embargo and Boardroom Fallout Could Also Be Coming
Beyond points and fines, experts widely expect a summer transfer embargo to be part of any final sanction package. There has also been serious discussion about the future of City’s boardroom, with comparisons drawn to Juventus, whose entire board resigned in 2022 after a similar financial scandal in Italian football.
What Happens Next
With City expected to appeal, this saga is far from over. The football world now waits for the Premier League to formally confirm sanctions, a moment that could send shockwaves through the title race, the transfer market, and the legacy of an era defined by City’s unprecedented dominance.
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