Man City faces the most severe penalty in football history

Man City risks a deduction of up to 60 points if they are defeated in the legal dispute with the Premier League over 115 alleged violations of FFP rules.

Since early 2023, Man City has been subject to numerous serious financial management allegations, among which the Premier League claims the club breached FFP regulations at least 115 times. Man City strongly denies all accusations. This has led to a prolonged legal investigation, with an independent hearing on the matter expected to conclude by the end of 2024.

However, the verdict has not yet been announced, leaving Man City fans anxious as the final decision could significantly impact the club’s future.

According to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, if found guilty, Man City could face one of the harshest punishments in football history, potentially losing up to 60 points — a record penalty.

It is still unclear when the verdict will be delivered, but Maguire believes the decision is likely to come within the next few months. Speaking on the program The Overlap, Maguire explained why the case has dragged on and why timing is crucial:

“It’s been 14 months of silence. Compared to similar cases such as fraud, I think we are now in the final stage awaiting a decision,”Maguire commented. “One challenge is that the decision panel consists of three very senior figures. Coordinating all three to be present at the same time is extremely difficult. That’s why the case has been delayed.”

Maguire added that the case might require several more months to conclude as all evidence must be thoroughly reviewed. He also did not rule out a “disastrous” scenario where the verdict is announced in the final week of the season or during the World Cup period.

When asked about potential penalties and how the punishment might be determined, Maguire said: “If Man City is found to have not cooperated, which is quite possible, they could face heavy fines, as seen previously with UEFA and related sanctions. If points are deducted, the Premier League would treat that as a win.”

There had been speculation that Man City might be relegated from the Premier League down to League One or even League Two if found guilty. However, Maguire confirmed that scenario is unlikely. The worst-case scenario is a points deduction severe enough to place them in the relegation zone, meaning they would play in the Championship next season. He explained:

“The Premier League cannot demote Man City to League One or League Two because that is under the jurisdiction of the EFL, and Man City has not been proven guilty of any charges by the EFL. Therefore, only points deductions are possible.

“Looking at precedents, Everton and Nottingham Forest were docked 6 and 4 points respectively for a single violation over a three-year period. The allegations against Man City span nine years and are on a much larger scale. We don’t know the exact figures yet, but it could be very significant.”.

“I think we need to add several zeros on top of what Forest and Everton faced, so somewhere between 40 and 60 points. Considering consistency with previous rulings, that level seems reasonable.”