Javier Tebas calls for ‘deterrent’ Manchester City punishment after financial breaches

Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, says Manchester City should face the strongest punishment available after an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules.

Tebas described the case as a potential turning point for football and said the alleged violations, which date back to 2009, were too serious to be dealt with lightly. Manchester City have consistently denied the accusations.

Speaking at the Performance and Health Summit in London on Tuesday, organised by global players’ union FIFPRO and Cleveland Clinic, Tebas said: “I have been raising concerns about Manchester City for many years. I did so in 2017 at the Soccerex conference, and neither Manchester City nor the Premier League liked it at the time.”

Breaches date back to 2009

The independent commission’s findings, reported by Reuters, establish that Manchester City breached the Premier League’s financial fair play regulations 114 times out of 115 charges.

Tebas said the length of time covered by the case made the matter particularly serious.

“It has now been shown that there were continuing breaches dating back to 2009,” he said. “Breaking the rules for more than 10 years is extremely serious. The punishment must be severe, not only to serve as a deterrent, but because the rules were actually broken.”

He added: “We want to make football sustainable and fair in every competition. As many clubs say, titles were lost that should have gone to other teams. What happened is hugely important, and we hope it represents a turning point, not only for the Premier League.”

Under the regulations, Manchester City could face a range of sanctions, including substantial fines, a points deduction or relegation. British reports also say Premier League clubs have begun seeking legal advice over possible compensation claims.

Tebas said the consequences of the case would extend beyond English football.

“The Manchester City case has implications across Europe, particularly when it comes to financial manipulation,” he said. “The punishment must be deterrent.”

Criticism of CAS decision

Tebas also criticised the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which overturned UEFA’s decision in 2020 to impose a two-year ban on Manchester City from the Champions League.

The original sanction related to allegations that the club had inflated sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016.

“In my opinion, the decisions of the Court of Arbitration for Sport should be reviewed,” Tebas said. “It overturned the punishment imposed by UEFA, and that decision was highly questionable. It has now been proven that UEFA was right.”

Mahita Molango, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association in England, voiced concern about the length of the proceedings and their wider impact.

“What worries us is the effect on the wider ecosystem, and on confidence in the rules and institutions,” he said. “If there is one lesson to take from this, it is that we need rules, they must be followed, and there must be immediate consequences.”

He added: “There are people behind all these stories, people trying to achieve particular goals in their careers. What we owe everyone in this industry is certainty.”