With the seismic news breaking out of the Premier League today concerning the investigation into alleged financial rule breaches from Manchester City from the years 2009-2018, football fans are eager to know the potential consequences to City should they be found guilty.
The Premier League has been investigating Manchester City for alleged financial rule breaking since March 2019 and after four years have now charged City with over 100 rule breaches.
Twitter user Nick Harris @sportingintel, of sportingintelligence.com, has tweeted an interesting thread today about the news, which he has called “massive”. Harris sums up the charges against City as, “dozens and dozens of serious allegations about long-term and widespread book-cooking. The ramifications for all concerned could be massive, including for Pep, who has been assured City never did anything wrong …”
Harris then discusses possible sanctions for the club, saying, “As for sanctions … IF found guilty. They really could be anything from huge fines to transfer bans and spending limits, to docked points to stripped titles. Of course City will lawyer-up, yet again. Their legal obfuscation is why this has taken 4 years.”
It was only in 2006 that Italian giants Juventus were stripped of their 2004/5 Serie A title in the aftermath of the Calciopoli scandal. This league title went down in history as unawarded. In the 2005/6 season, as the charges were brought against Juventus, who were top of the league and on course to win the title, Juventus were then sent to last place and relegated from Serie A. That summer, the title was awarded to Inter Milan who were in second place at the time Juventus were found guilty of wrongdoing.
It is an unprecedented situation in the Premier League, however, as the potential punishments for Manchester City are unknown, and their guilt has yet to be decided. Manchester City won 3 Premier League titles in the time period concerned in the investigation. Liverpool finished in 2nd place when City were the Champions in 2013/14.
As for sanctions … IF found guilty. They really could be anything from huge fines to transfer bans and spending limits, to docked points to stripped titles. Of course City will lawyer-up, yet again. Their legal obfuscation is why this has taken 4 years.
— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) February 6, 2023
