Sympathy is in short supply at other clubs after an independent commission laid bare the scale of Manchester City's rule breaking across nine seasons in a devastating decision published last week. As City's legal team prepare for their appeal and sanctions hearing after being found guilty of more than 100 breaches of the Premier League's rules, their rivals in England and across Europe believe "the punishment should fit the crime". With the looming prospect of City taking their bid to clear their name all the way to the High Court, rival clubs are becomingly increasingly concerned about the damage that is being done to the image and integrity of the Premier League, the cost of the dispute and what they see as City's failure to take any responsibility or accountability for their actions.
City are adamant they have done nothing wrong, insisting they are innocent and that a "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists" to support their position as they lodged their appeal. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player But even a cursory reading of the decision which was published by the independent disciplinary commission puts into sharp focus the scale of the task facing City's lawyers when an appeal hearing takes place before Christmas. City's rule breaking is about as serious as it gets when it comes to financial regulations and the fact that it was carried out over nine seasons and distorted the competition means City's rivals are not expecting them to be playing in the Premier League next season.
Many believe that a points deduction is not a sufficient punishment if it would lead to City spending just one season outside the top flight. It is only natural for clubs to think of their own self-interest and City's relegation would mean one fewer club going down this season as well as removing one of the favourites from the title race and opening up another European place. Self-interest is not the over-riding consideration though.
The consensus appears to be that rules have to be respected by all clubs, no matter their size or status - and it would not be sufficient to hand City a punishment that would last only one season for rules which were broken across multiple seasons. City's rival Premier League clubs will not be involved in the sanction hearing, which could be take place while the appeal process runs its course. The same three-person panel which heard the evidence at the 42-day hearing in 2024 and delivered its core decision last Tuesday will decide on sanctions after the Premier League, as the prosecutors, put forward their recommendation and City's lawyers argue their case.
It will be down to the Premier League board to decide what recommended sanction their lawyers should present to the panel. In 2023, the Premier League argued that Everton deserved a 12-point deduction for one breach of the Profitability and Sustainability Rules. Everton, who were in a desperate financial position at the time, eventually ended up with a six-point deduction after they appealed the original 10-point sanction.
With both sides allowed to appeal the sanctions, and City appealing the judgment, Premier League clubs are prepared for this marathon dispute to keep on running until at least next year. Clubs have been trying to draw a line under the legal disputes which have become a feature of the English game as they try to move towards what some executives call "the NFL model" where the league speaks with one voice. That will not happen until the final chapter of the 115 charges case is finally written.
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