What Premier League Owners Really Think About Potential Manchester City Sanctions

Manchester City's potential punishment continues to dominate headlines across English football as the appeal process looms following the independent commission's decision finding the club guilty of the vast majority of charges. According to The Athletic, momentum is building around the need for a comprehensive settlement among rival clubs regarding compensation claims should City's guilt be upheld. A consensus has formed that the reigning champions must face repercussions on three distinct fronts: financial penalties, sporting sanctions, and severe consequences for key club executives.

When it comes to the specifics, however, opinions vary widely. The scale of any financial penalty and where those funds would be directed remain subjects of fierce debate.

An investor holding stakes in multiple clubs believes the most pragmatic starting point—should City's appeal be rejected—would be for the Premier League and the club to sit down and negotiate an out-of-court financial settlement.

"Let's say they have to put £1 billion into a central fund," said the investor, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The Premier League would then need to devise a formula so that the clubs who suffered the greatest direct damage receive a larger share—a sum that might fully compensate their losses, or at least prove acceptable enough for them to move on. In doing so, the Premier League could prevent an avalanche of lawsuits between clubs."

However, establishing any such formula would spark heated debate, with clubs across the division putting forward their own cases.

Another Premier League club owner argues that splitting the money equally among only the current top-flight teams would be fundamentally unfair. He questioned why a club like Coventry, who were nowhere near the Premier League between 2009 and 2018, should receive a major financial windfall, while sides such as West Ham, Southampton, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, and Leicester City—who are currently outside the elite—would miss out entirely, despite having suffered directly on the pitch against City during that era.

Even Championship clubs with no direct claim of having been disadvantaged by City during the period in question are concerned. If City are docked enough points to trigger relegation, the Abu Dhabi-backed side would be overwhelming favourites to bounce straight back to the top flight. That would effectively lock down one of the three promotion spots in a future campaign, denting other second-tier clubs' aspirations.

When it comes to sporting sanctions, there is growing support for a penalty that slows City's trajectory in a manner proportionate to how quickly they climbed to the summit using unfair means. Consequently, the punishment could not be confined to a single season. One proposal is a rolling points deduction spread over multiple seasons, heavily jeopardising their chances of European qualification. Such a penalty may or may not be severe enough to cause relegation. While this approach has gained traction since the ruling, critics point out that even if City were relegated, they might spend just one year in the Championship before returning to the Premier League elite within a season or two.

However, relegation could trigger far deeper repercussions. City would likely struggle to retain much of their squad in the Championship while adhering to EFL financial regulations. Under Football League rules, spending on players and coaching staff—including amortisation and agent fees—is capped at 85% of turnover, a restriction that would almost certainly force a widespread squad fire sale.

Regarding the initial number of points rival clubs believe should be deducted, one Premier League owner remarked that calculating a proportionate penalty is "almost impossible to fathom." Citing Everton and Nottingham Forest, who were docked eight and four points respectively for infractions deemed minor compared to City's charges, he suggested that applying the same scale would warrant a deduction running into hundreds of points for the Etihad club.

His concern, however, is that hitting City with an immediate 100-point deduction this season would damage the Premier League's global broadcast appeal while compromising the integrity and competitive balance of the competition.

Another former executive with experience across several Premier League clubs questioned how a lengthy transfer ban could be practically enforced.

"If they get relegated and lose half their squad, they'd almost have to be allowed to sign senior players just to put a team on the pitch," he noted.

As for the possibility of expelling City via a Premier League shareholder vote, league chiefs hope and expect matters will not go that far. Nevertheless, they acknowledge their patience would be pushed to the limit should the club take the legal battle outside the Premier League's arbitration framework and into the High Court.

Several executives also noted they do not expect the three-person commission to recommend outright expulsion—though relegation could still occur via a massive points penalty—since the panel is expected to propose measures strictly within its remit. Outright expulsion would almost certainly require a shareholder vote among Premier League clubs, demanding a supermajority of at least 14 votes in favour.