Man Utd could be awarded TWO titles STRIPPED from Man City

Carlo Garganese

Updated: 26 Mar 2025 10:22 CDT
4 min read

Manchester City could be stripped of three league titles if they are found guilty in the trial over their alleged 130 breaches of Premier League financial rules.

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That is according to the Liverpool Echo, who report that City could be stripped of the Premier League trophies they won in 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2017/18.

In 2012, Man City famously won their first Premier League title with the dramatic last-gasp winner from Sergio Aguero on the final day of the season. That enabled City to beat United to the league on goal difference. The Echo says that United could be handed this title in the courts if City are found guilty.

United could also be awarded the 2018 Premier League title after they finished 19 points behind champions City in second place. That would mean another Premier League title for United’s-then manager Jose Mourinho.

Man Utd and Liverpool to benefit from City case?

And the 2014 title could be awarded to Liverpool, who finished second that season just two points behind City.

A verdict in the much-publicised case is expected imminently, with City being charged with 130 alleged financial breaches.

An independent hearing has officially concluded following 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, and failing to co-operate from 2018 to 2023.

City 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.

© IMAGO - Man City could be relegated from the Premier League if they are found guilty

Football Finance expert Kieran Maguire explained last week that we can expect relegation and resignations galore if City are found guilty.

"What I've heard from a few parties already, and I've spoken to a few people today, is that it could be, that there will be a conclusion as to whether Manchester City are guilty or not guilty of individual charges. But the punishment might not be included in this initial report,” Maguire told the Manchester Evening News of the imminent verdict.

"If Manchester City are only found guilty of non-cooperation with the Premier League investigation and I think we can expect something in line with what we saw from UEFA. In that it will be a fiscal penalty.

"If Manchester City are found guilty of misrepresentation, which is effectively corporate fraud, then I think we have to be looking at a significant points deduction. On the basis that, again, if you read the commission reports for Nottingham Forest and Everton, they stressed that they were minor breaches of the rules.

"What Manchester City is being accused of, is effectively fraud over a longer period of time. So therefore, the punishment has to be scaled appropriately.

"I don't think they can relegate the club as such, because this is a Premier League punishment," Maguire said. "The Premier League doesn't control the EFL, so therefore the commission would have to set a tariff - a punishment that will be so severe in terms of points deductions that it would effectively guarantee relegation.

"But they can't do what we saw with Rangers and the SPFL and relegate them to League Two or similar."

Maguire stressed that in addition to relegations if City are found guilty, he also expects the Man City board to step down.

"It brings the governance of Manchester City into disrepute, if found guilty, I don't see how the board of directors can survive because again, looking for precedent, if you look to see what has happened in Serie A and Juventus," he added.

"When Juventus were found guilty of effectively misrepresentation a couple of years ago - this was when they said players had taken big pay cuts during covid and that wasn't the case, the board of directors had to resign.

"If people from Manchester City have made statements, sworn statements to the commission and it's been concluded that those are misrepresentations, then the board of Man City has to be replaced."