Manchester City face a united front from their rivals as the fallout from their financial breach verdict gathers pace. A group of top-flight club executives wants both retrospective punishments and sanctions for the future if City’s appeal against the verdict fails.
An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. City have appealed against that verdict, but club executives expect the appeal to fail.
What the clubs want
The demand is twofold. First, clubs want retrospective punishments that strip City of the eight major trophies they won during the guilty period. Second, they want sanctions that stretch into the future, including:
- Points deductions
- Transfer bans
At least four Premier League boardrooms feel a “one-hit” points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would be insufficient given the severity of City’s wrongdoing. One senior club source went further, saying City should be stripped of their titles.
There is no great rush among clubs to push for trophy redistribution, the source added. Instead, the desire is to take honours away and leave them vacant.
The same source warned the Premier League’s credibility would be lost if City kept those eight trophies.
The debate over punishment
Club executives worry a one-season sanction would be a “bump in the road” given City’s likely return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Some Premier League figures believe any points deduction should be split over multiple seasons.
Transfer bans stretching over several windows would hinder City regaining top-flight status quickly, according to a sense among executives. That approach would slow the club’s return to the division.
One club source called it “bizarre, almost obtuse” if City could trade in the January transfer window while this process remains ongoing without sanctions applied. The logic is simple: if the verdict stands, City should not be allowed to build a team in the window before the penalty is confirmed.
What clubs are not demanding
There is little appetite among other clubs for City to be stripped of titles, according to BBC Sport. Some clubs felt “in the dark” regarding the Premier League, including the chronology and timescales of the appeal and sanctions hearing.
Sources said there was “empathy” and “understanding” about the difficult position the Premier League is in, given the gravity of the situation and the ongoing legal process.
That empathy does not translate into agreement. The clubs pushing for harsher action are clear about their position, even if some are hesitant to push for trophy redistribution.
The tariff-based proposal
A “tariff-based system” of altering past league finishing positions via points deduction and paying rival clubs compensation based on where they would have finished versus where they did finish has been mooted. A club source found “merit” in it.
The system would effectively redraw league tables from the past, moving teams up or down depending on where City’s points were deducted. Compensation payments would follow, aimed at rival clubs that suffered from City’s earlier success.
The proposal carries practical weight. It would address the question of what happens to the clubs that finished behind City in seasons affected by the breach.
Preparing for the Liverpool match
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca will speak to players collectively after they return from international duty on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s Premier League match against Liverpool (16:30 BST). This is City’s first game since news of the verdict broke.
Merseyside Police has received queries in relation to the match and will have “an appropriate policing operation in place on the day”.
Sources at Liverpool say it is “business as usual” with no extra measures being put in place. Conversations and meetings between the club, supporters and authorities happen before every home game.
One source said while everyone “has the right to express their feelings” they hoped supporters would not overstep the mark.
The Premier League’s dilemma
If City lose the appeal, the league will need to apply a penalty that feels proportionate to the breach. The clubs pushing for harsher action want more than a single season of deduction.
The tariff-based system offers a compromise. It would require the league to rewrite history and pay compensation.
The shape of the coming fight
City’s appeal will determine the immediate shape of the punishment. If it fails, the league will have to act. The clubs pushing for harsher action have made their position clear.
The question of titles is likely to be the most contentious issue. Stripping City of trophies is a radical step.
The transfer ban is another lever. According to a sense among executives, a multi-window ban would hinder City regaining top-flight status quickly.
The coming weeks will test the league’s resolve. The clubs have spoken, and now the league must decide whether to listen.
Source material: “Rival clubs want retrospective and future punishments for Man City,” the BBC.
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