Wenger: Man City won’t have Premier League titles stripped

Suraj Radia

• 14 Feb 2023 18:52 GMT
• 2 min read

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Manchester City will not have the Premier League titles stripped from them after the financial scandal surrounding the club.

City have been embroiled in controversy after they were charged by the Premier League for more than 100 breaches of their financial rules between 2009 and 2018.

The club claimed they were ‘surprised’ by the charges and will ‘welcome’ a review of the matter, however their punishments could range from a fine to a points deduction, with some even suggesting they could be stripped of their titles.

FACTS: Everything you need to know about the charges facing Man City

Speaking to beIN Sports, Wenger was defensive of City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, describing him as an ‘intelligent man’ who he ‘knows quite well’ and the Frenchman believes it is unlikely that the punishment would go as far as stripping the club’s Premier League titles.

City won four titles between the aggrieved period and, when asked how much of a possibility it was that they could be stripped of their titles, Wenger replied: “Very small one. I think so.

“I believe at the moment I know quite well Khaldoon and I think he’s an intelligent man and an honest man so I was quite surprised by the charges they face so let’s see the outcome. If they are guilty, then they will face penalties. I don’t know what they will be.”

What is going on with the Man City case?

City are alleged to have breached rules requiring provision ‘in utmost good faith’ of ‘accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position’ - essentially accusing the side of lacking accuracy when they provide a financial breakdown to the league.

There is also an issue surrounding the structure of the payments made to City’s manager at the time, Roberto Mancini.

FANTASY: How would English football look if City were stripped of their titles?

The investigation is reminiscent of the case which saw the club banned from Europe by UEFA in 2020, however, unlike that situation, City cannot appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which saw their suspension overturned.

The club are believed to have paid a huge fee to appoint a sports lawyer and the case will be reviewed by an independent body.