Premier League Clubs Seek Dual Retroactive and Future Sanctions Against Manchester City

A number of Premier League clubs want Manchester City to be hit with both retrospective punishments and future sanctions for their extensive breaches of financial regulations, according to sources close to BBC Sport.

An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges related to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations between the 2009‑10 and 2017‑18 seasons.

Manchester City have appealed against the verdict.

However, a consensus among top‑flight club executives suggests that if City’s appeal fails, sanctions should both compensate for the period when the club broke the rules and restrict its future powers.

Additionally, at least four Premier League boardrooms feel that a single points deduction—potentially leading to relegation to the Championship—would be an inadequate punishment given the seriousness of City’s offences.

There is understood to be nuance in what clubs deem an appropriate penalty for the eight‑time Premier League champions, who were found guilty of all serious financial rule breaches in a damning independent commission verdict.

One senior club source said Manchester City should be stripped of their titles, adding that there was “no great rush” to redistribute trophies; instead, clubs aim to remove honours and leave them vacant.

The source warned that the credibility of the Premier League would be undermined if City were allowed to retain the eight major trophies won during the period in which the club was found guilty.

However, BBC Sport was previously told that there is little appetite among other clubs for City to be stripped of titles, reflecting a divergence of opinion across the league.

Regarding future sanctions, club executives worry that a punishment limited to a single season would be merely a “bump in the road” for City, given their likely swift return to the Premier League.

Consequently, several Premier League figures argue that any points deduction should be spread over multiple seasons, and that transfer bans extending across several windows would also significantly impede City’s ability to regain top‑flight status quickly.

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