- 22 hours ago
Will Man City be relegated amidst 115 charges?
Cameron Smith
- 26 Sept 2024 14:35 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester City face the possibility of receiving a huge punishment if they are found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been charged with 115 alleged financial breaches and an independent hearing has begun after a four-year investigation conducted by UEFA.
Man City have denied any wrongdoing, but the club have been accused of failing to provide accurate financial information from 2009 to 2018.
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‘The Trial of the Century’ is expected to last around 10 weeks, although the independent board will then take time to come to a conclusion, while Man City will have the right to appeal the final decision.
The Cityzens have won eight Premier League titles and 24 trophies in total since the Abu Dhabi United Group purchased the club in 2008, spending over €2.5 billion on new players in the process.
However, they face the prospect of being relegated from the Premier League if the trial results in a guilty verdict.
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Manchester City's financial breaches
| Breach | Number of Charges |
|---|---|
| Failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information (2009-2018) | 54 |
| Failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation (2009-2018) | 14 |
| Failure to comply with UEFA's regulations, including Financial Fair Play Regulations | 5 |
| Breaching Premier League Profitability and Sustainability regulations (2015-2018) | 7 |
| Failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations (2018-2023) | 35 |
What are Man City’s potential punishments?
There is essentially no limit to the potential punishment that Man City could face if they are found guilty of the alleged breaches.
A fairly small punishment could see Guardiola’s side forced to pay a fine or handed a transfer ban.
They could also be ordered to replay league matches, players may be deregistered and Man City may be suspended from playing games for a certain time period.
Furthermore, Man City could be handed a points deduction and they could even be expelled from the Premier League.
As a result, it’s certainly possible that Man City may be relegated from the top flight of English football next summer - if they are found guilty.
Everton and Nottingham Forest have both been handed points deductions for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules over the past few seasons, and financial experts have suggested that Man City could be deducted up to 100 points due to the number of alleged breaches.
Furthermore, The Telegraph have reported that Man City could also be expelled from the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, in addition the potentially the Champions League and the Club World Cup.
Man City could also be cleared of all charges, resulting in no punishment.
Read more about: Premier League, Man City
