Brief
Premier League rivals demand harsher than relegation for Manchester City
Club executives say only a severe sanction can match the scale of City’s alleged financial misconduct.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Executives from several Premier League clubs told the Guardian that a points deduction relegating Manchester City to the Championship for a single season would be insufficient, given the independent commission’s finding of more than 100 financial rule breaches involving a "disguised funding scheme" and "sham commercial deals" that inflated the club’s income by £900m between 2009 and 2018.
The commission, which identified 115 breaches and found City guilty of the vast majority, will decide sanctions at a hearing pending the club’s appeal. Under new league rules, the appeal must be concluded within 12 weeks of a deadline on Friday, with a further 30 days for the panel to deliver its judgment, meaning a decision is expected by the end of January 2027.
While the clubs have no formal role in the sanctioning process, their comments highlight the pressure on the Premier League as it seeks to resolve a case that began almost eight years ago.
Key facts
- Premier League clubs say relegation would not be enough punishment for Manchester City (theguardian.com)
- An independent commission found City guilty of over 100 financial rule breaches (theguardian.com)
- The alleged breaches involved a £900m artificial inflation of income between 2009 and 2018 (theguardian.com)
- Sanctions hearing will occur after City’s appeal, with a decision expected by end of January 2027 (theguardian.com)
Sources
- [1] theguardian.com — originally reported as “Rival clubs feel relegating Manchester City to Championship would not be enough”
