What a Fair Punishment for Manchester City Should Look Like

A proposed package of sporting and financial sanctions for Manchester City is set against recent PSR precedents, with particular focus on how the Burnley–Everton case could open the door to compensation claims.

I've been thinking about what an appropriate punishment for Manchester City should be if the reported findings on the 114 charges are ultimately upheld after the appeal process. For me, this cannot be a case of "give them a fine and move on." If a club is found to have systematically broken Premier League rules over many years, and those breaches provided sporting and financial advantages, then the punishment must reflect the scale, duration and consequences of those breaches.

Recent precedents matter. Everton received a 10‑point deduction (later reduced to six) for a single PSR breach. Nottingham Forest received four points for theirs. These sanctions directly affected league tables and relegation battles. And now we have the Burnley–Everton case: in June 2026, an independent commission ordered Everton to pay Burnley £26m plus interest after concluding Everton's breach contributed to Burnley's relegation in 2021/22. Everton have appealed, but the fact the case reached this stage is hugely significant. It shows that financial‑rule breaches can lead not only to league‑imposed sporting sanctions, but also compensation claims from clubs who can demonstrate financial harm.

This is where Manchester City becomes a completely different situation.

My Proposed Punishment for Manchester City

If the majority of charges are upheld, the punishment should consist of multiple separate elements.

1. A 40‑Point Deduction for Every Proven Season

I would impose a 40‑point deduction for each Premier League season in which breaches are proven. Crucially, these should not be combined into one giant deduction that disappears if City are relegated. Each season's sanction should stand alone.

If City are relegated, remaining deductions should pause until they return to the Premier League. This prevents a situation where Premier League offences are effectively "served" in the EFL. There is already precedent for sanctions following clubs between competitions: Leicester's PSR case moved from the EFL to the Premier League after promotion, resulting in a six‑point deduction applied in the Championship.

2. A Four‑Year Transfer Ban

If City's squad‑building benefited from rule breaches, allowing them to immediately rebuild using vast financial resources would undermine any sporting punishment. A four‑year ban on incoming first‑team transfers would prevent them from simply spending their way out of consequences. Sales could still occur, and exemptions would exist for academy players and emergency goalkeepers.

3. An Eight‑Year Ban from European Competition

European qualification is one of the rewards generated by domestic success. If breaches helped City win titles and qualify for Europe, domestic points deductions alone don't address the wider competitive advantage. European competitions also bring huge financial benefits.

An eight‑year ban from the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League would prevent City from quickly returning to Europe after a domestic sanction.

4. Reduced Squad Size for Eight Years

To prevent City from maintaining an oversized squad capable of absorbing sanctions, I'd impose an eight‑year restriction on the number of registered first‑team players. This would make the transfer ban more meaningful and limit their ability to stockpile talent.

5. Massive Financial Penalties

A club of City's size cannot be fined £10–20m and simply treat it as an operating expense. If hundreds of breaches are proven, the fine should reflect:

• number and duration of breaches
• financial advantage obtained
• sporting advantage obtained
• seriousness of conduct
• size and resources of the club

The penalty must be significant enough to matter.

6. Removal of Honours Won During Affected Seasons

If breaches are proven and found to have materially affected competitive balance, honours won during those seasons should be removed. This doesn't automatically mean awarding titles to runners‑up; that is a separate question. But leaving honours on the record despite proven unlawful advantage makes little sense.

Why the Burnley Case Changes Everything

Sporting punishment wouldn't be the end of it. Burnley's case shows that clubs can argue:

"You broke the rules, gained a sporting advantage, that advantage harmed us, and we suffered measurable financial loss."

The commission found Everton's extra spending contributed additional points, and those points were significant to the relegation outcome. It then calculated Burnley's financial loss using a counterfactual model: what would Burnley's finances have looked like had they stayed in the Premier League?

If that principle survives appeal, the implications for Manchester City could be enormous.

Potential Compensation Claims

Relegated Clubs
A club finishing in the relegation zone could argue City's unlawful advantage contributed to their relegation. Losses could include:

• broadcasting revenue
• prize money
• commercial and sponsorship income
• player‑trading consequences
• financing costs

Burnley's case shows this is no longer theoretical.

Clubs Missing Out on European Football
If City finished above a club in a European qualification place, that club could argue it lost:

• UEFA prize money
• broadcasting revenue
• sponsorship value
• matchday revenue
• future financial opportunities

Again, causation must be proven, but the route now exists.

Prize Money Losses
League position affects prize money. If City occupied a position another club would have held absent breaches, that club could claim the financial difference.

European Clubs
If City's alleged advantage affected Champions League qualification or performance, clubs outside England could theoretically examine whether they suffered losses.

Not every claim would succeed. Jurisdiction, causation, limitation periods and quantifying loss would be complex. But the possibility is real.

Three Distinct Forms of Punishment

1. Sporting punishment
Points deductions, transfer bans, squad limits, European bans.

2. Regulatory punishment
Fines and removal of honours.

3. Compensation
Payments to clubs who can prove financial loss caused by City's breaches.

These serve different purposes. A fine doesn't compensate other clubs. A points deduction doesn't compensate a club that lost £30m in Champions League revenue. Stripping a title doesn't compensate a relegated club.

Is 40 Points per Season Excessive?

Maybe.
But Everton received a six-point reduction for one PSR breach. Forest received four for one breach. If City are found to have committed repeated breaches across multiple seasons, the sanction should reflect the number of seasons and the cumulative advantage.

Reports suggest 114 charges were found proven at first instance (subject to appeal). This is not a normal case.

Why Points Should Pause During Relegation

If City receive, for example, 160 points across four seasons and are relegated after the first deduction, applying all points immediately would allow them to "serve" Premier League sanctions in the EFL. Pausing deductions until they return ensures Premier League offences are punished in the Premier League.

The Wider Issue

Financial regulation has long been viewed as a matter between the league and the club. The Burnley–Everton case changes that. If City's alleged breaches are proven, many clubs could argue they suffered financial harm:

• missed Europe
• lower league finishes
• reduced prize money
• relegation
• lost commercial opportunities

Each claim would stand on its own merits, but the precedent now exists.

The Complete Package

If the findings are upheld, the punishment should be:

• 40 points per proven season
• four‑year transfer ban
• eight‑year European ban
• eight‑year squad‑size restriction
• substantial fines
• removal of honours
• and potential compensation claims from any club able to prove financial loss

The last part could be the biggest consequence of all. A points deduction punishes City. Compensation claims ask every affected club: "How much did you lose?".

Written by OptimumShots September 28 2026 19:24:00