Manchester City face unprecedented punishment as expulsion from English football raised

Manchester City could face a record points deduction, transfer restrictions or even expulsion from the Premier League after being found guilty of almost all of the 115 financial charges brought against them.

The Premier League confirmed the verdict in an official statement on Tuesday, prompting immediate questions over the severity of the punishment for the 10-time English champions.

The sanctions will be decided in a separate process, and the most extreme outcome discussed so far is Manchester City being removed from the Premier League and blocked from every division within the English Football League structure.

That would leave the club outside professional football in England altogether. A move to the National League, the fifth tier of the English football pyramid, has also been described as the worst-case scenario, although that possibility has been characterised as “almost impossible”.

German newspaper Bild reported the prediction made by English journalist Ben Jacobs, who outlined the potential consequences facing Manchester City. Possible penalties include a substantial fine, a significant points deduction, a transfer ban or relegation from the Premier League.

EFL could support Premier League action

English broadcaster and website Talksport have considered an even more severe scenario. They report that the English Football League (EFL), which oversees the three professional divisions below the Premier League, would be prepared to work with the top flight.

Under that interpretation, Manchester City could be excluded not only from the Premier League but from all of the EFL’s competitions. The club would then disappear from England’s professional football system.

Jacobs said: “As far as I understand, the Premier League is seeking a large and unprecedented points deduction, and even relegation for Manchester City to the lowest division.”

He added: “I can also report exclusively that the English Football League is planning to consider the decision if Manchester City are expelled from the Premier League and, in solidarity, is prepared to support the Premier League’s position and try to keep Manchester City outside the EFL as well.”

Jacobs concluded: “Therefore, there is a risk that, in the worst-case scenario, Manchester City could be completely excluded from professional football.”

Unlike in most other countries, the fourth tier of the English game remains a professional league. The National League is the fifth-highest level in the English football league system.

The final punishment has not yet been determined. The Premier League said the appointed commission had “a wide discretion as to the sanctions it can impose”, adding that the non-exhaustive list in its rules included financial penalties, points deductions and other sporting sanctions.

Manchester City have until 2 October to appeal the findings. The club has already responded to the Premier League statement and continues to maintain its innocence.