It is one of the biggest talking points from the Manchester City case. Should City be stripped of the eight trophies they won between 2009 and 2018, the period in which they were accused of breaking Premier League financial rules? Judging by social media, many fans of rival clubs are now hoping for such an outcome.
However BBC Sport has been told there has been little appetite from within the Premier League - both the organisation and clubs - for past titles to be stripped from City Not quite, as the decision will be made by an independent panel which is yet to hold a "sanction hearing". That means it cannot be ruled out, although a points deduction, huge fine or possibly even expulsion from the Premier League are thought to be more likely. Here, BBC Sport analyses this difficult issue and decision the panel is now facing.
Man City and the 115 charges - key questions answered Man City fans face up to reality of guilty verdict Relegation? What next for Man City "I think we still have a chance to win that league… and then they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal." It was almost two years ago that Jose Mourinho mischievously raised the possibility that his former club Manchester United could be handed the 2018 Premier League title held by Manchester City. Under Mourinho, United finished second to City by 19 points in 2018, his final full campaign in charge at Old Trafford.
City have always denied wrongdoing. But now we know they have been found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges, was Mourinho right? Premier League rules do not directly make reference to such a sanction, with a fine, points deduction or expulsion listed as possible punishments.
However, they also allow for a disciplinary commission panel to impose a penalty "as it shall think fit". That theoretically could include retrospectively-applied points deductions, or the stripping of titles. Many will argue that if upheld after any appeal, the nature and scale of the wrongdoing City have been found guilty of warrants such as sanction on the basis that titles were won unfairly, and any misrepresentation of revenue and costs gave them a crucial competitive advantage.
City were accused of a wide range of rule breaches, centred around claims that they inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and made other "off the books" payments to circumvent football's financial rules. So with a cloud hanging over the trophy-laden era City have enjoyed since the takeover of the club by Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Mansour in 2008, could asterisks now be applied to the titles City won during the period in which they have been found to have broken the rules? Could they be left blank?
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