Manchester City has become a behemoth of European football on the football pitch in the last decade. However, a dark cloud has been hanging over the Citizens off the pitch for the last couple of years.
That is because, in March 2023, City was charged with breaking Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) over a nine-year period between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons.
Not only were the Citizens charged for breaking one or two breaches of the rules. They were charged with breaking 115 PSR rules in the period.
An independent panel has been deciding their fate
City’s destiny is in the hands of a three-person independent panel, which concluded a 12-week hearing at the end of last year. However, there has been no update on the case, but reportedly, a decision on the case is due in the near future.
If found guilty, which is a distinct possibility considering the number of believed charges, then there could be a range of punishments. Sanctions such as being expelled from the league, being stripped of their previous titles, fines, and a hefty points deduction have all been mooted.
City being expelled from the league is likely to be unworkable, as it would have an impact on the leagues below, as they would have to take somebody’s place in the EFL pyramid. This could be a complicated issue.
Meanwhile, rewriting history with the removal of titles is something the Premier League will be highly keen to avoid.
There is precedent for a points deduction
When it comes to this case, there is a precedent set for what City’s likely punishment would be in Everton. The Toffees were deducted ten points in November 2023 for one breach of the Profit and Sustainability for season 2022/23.
On appeal, the deduction was reduced to six points. However, in April of 2024, the men from Merseyside were hit with a second two-point sanction for a separate breach. That’s an eight-point deduction for two breaches.
Before Everton received punishment for the second breach, the Toffees Premier League relegation rivals at the time, Nottingham Forest, were also hit with a four-point deduction. The Midlands outfit failed with an appeal of the decision.
Despite both teams receiving points deductions, the pair still beat the drop to the Championship. In fact, Forest has flourished in season 2024/25, as they are currently on course to qualify for the Champions League next season.
It seems the Tricky Trees’ gamble of spending big and bringing in what seemed like hundreds of players in the summer of 2023 was one work taking. If City is guilty of the 115 charges levied against it, then its breaches have also paid off handsomely, as the Citizens won the league three times in the reported period.
If Everton and Forest were deducted eight and four points, respectively, for minor infringements, City could be in big trouble if they are found guilty of breaking any of the PSR rules, considering the number of charges they are facing. A massive points deduction could be heading their way.
Manchester City still claim they are innocent of the charges
Despite all of the speculation and talk in the media about potential punishments, Manchester City are still claiming that they are innocent of any of the 115 charges and there is still a possibility that City could be found innocent in all 115 cases.
The sheer volume of charges against the men from Manchester has made the case against them far more complex than the cases against Everton or Nottingham Forest. That has meant it has taken longer for the independent panel to weigh up the evidence.
While everybody speculates about the City’s potential punishment, the punishments handed out to the Toffees and Tricky Trees could well be a hint of what the citizens’ sanctions will be, albeit likely a far heftier deduction than the pair.
Clubs given point deductions, 115 charges, transfer embargoes, threats of relegation, etc…
Yet Manchester United, “The Biggest club in the World” given a £75m allowance to prevent them from failing PSR. pic.twitter.com/TD6dorsZag
— Pete (@ManCityOracle) August 7, 2024
Hopefully, the independent panel’s decision will be revealed in the near future. Whatever the decision is, it will no doubt be highly scrutinised and questioned by many outsiders because if City have broken these PSR rules, then they had an unfair advantage for a long time over their rivals.
Those were not just any seasons, either. These were the seasons in which the Citizens established themselves as one of the most potent forces in the English game. If they have achieved that status by breaking the rules, it will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many, including their rivals who have not broken the PSR rules.