Staff Writer Jamal Malik-Lyf writes on Man City’s charges.
On the 25th of September 2026, Manchester City were officially found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges for breaching the financial rules of the Premier League. The charges are as follows:
- 54 counts of inaccurate financial information (2009-18)
- 14 counts of misreporting the pay of players / managers (2009-18)
- 5 counts of UEFA FFP breaches (2013-18)
- 7 counts of PSR breaches (2015-18)
- 35 counts of not cooperating with the investigation (2018-23)
The decision came after a lengthy investigation process which lasted over three years, before an independent panel finally decided to indict the footballing giant. The question that’s on everyone’s mind is: what happens next?
Under Rule W51, the ramifications for the Citizens will be huge, as it could see them being handed huge fines, severe point reductions, lengthy transfer bans and even relegation from the top flight.
As an example of what could happen to Manchester City, we can look at what happened to other clubs who broke the financial rules of the Premier League, albeit on a much smaller scale.
After QPR were found guilty of overspending in the 2013-14 season, they were forced to accept a hefty £42 million fine, as well as a one-window transfer ban. In Everton’s case, they were deducted 8 points in total for exceeding the Premier League’s debt limits in 2022 and 2023. This didn’t just hurt their chances to climb up the table, but it also led to a successful £40 million lawsuit from Burnley because they finished lower in the league as a direct result and thus faced economic damage.
Both of these breaches pale in comparison to the 114 violations committed by Manchester City over a 9-year period, which resulted in their rapid rise and domination of the footballing world. The Premier League has decided to uphold the decision, and whilst we are awaiting a definite punishment, it would not be far-fetched to call for City’s relegation to the Championship, or even as far down as the National League. If there is to be any consistency, the club must face severe repercussions. Otherwise, what type of precedent would be set for the rest of the league? And would the Premier League ever be able to recover its legitimacy?
On top of calls for relegation, many have demanded that they be stripped of all the titles won from 2009-18 and that they should face severe financial punishments. Other Premier League clubs are also expected to take legal action against Manchester City for the millions they have lost out in revenue, which could see unprecedented amounts of money exchange hands.
In response to the verdict, the chairman, Khaldoon al Mubarak, says that the club will fight the charges in a lengthy appeal process, stating he is “confident” they will be found innocent.
It is without a doubt that the legacy of the club has been heavily tainted. Now that we know what could happen next, all that remains to see is whether Manchester City will be able to survive as a football club. And perhaps the even bigger question to ask is: will the Premier League correctly punish the Citizens, or are they simply too big to fall?
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