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The Premier League is reportedly pushing for Manchester City's penalty to be announced prior to the outcome of their appeal, according to a surprising new report.
City, as many will recall, were found guilty by an independent panel of violating over 100 Premier League rules, including those related to the misreporting of their financial affairs. As England's top division bluntly stated, City's achievements between 2009 and 2018 were built on "sham contracts," "sham agreements" and "sham commercial deals."
These allegations were first brought against City in February 2023, and the modern Premier League powerhouse has vigorously maintained their innocence throughout proceedings. Even following the official ruling—which the club dismissed as an "opinion" stemming from a "Premier League conspiracy theory"—City continue to fight to clear their name.
An appeal has been filed on the basis of a widely referenced "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence." A substantial collection of Abu Dhabi government documents is believed to underpin this argument, which contends that the "artificially inflated" revenue figures were boosted by state funding, rather than by City's owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (who also serves as vice president and deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, of which Abu Dhabi is the capital).
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This process remains ongoing. Under updated Premier League regulations, a three-member panel must hear the case within 12 weeks of the appeal being submitted, which in this instance falls on Christmas Eve. A decision must then be reached within the following 30 days, pushing the deadline to the third week of January. City could also argue that no time limit should apply, as these rules were introduced after the period in question.
Amid these delays and the legal uncertainty currently hanging over the division, the Premier League is reportedly "pressing" for the commission to publicly disclose the extent of City's punishment before any appeal verdict is reached, per the Daily Mail.
It would not be without precedent for a sanction to be imposed before an appeal is concluded. Everton were initially deducted 10 points in November 2023 (for a single uncontested breach), which was later reduced to six points the following February. City are widely expected to face a considerably harsher penalty.
Man City's 'Most Likely' Punishment
The same Mail report suggests that City's "most likely" punishment is a "swingeing" points deduction severe enough to make relegation virtually inevitable. According to Opta's supercomputer, that would require roughly 60 points given the level of performance Enzo Maresca's side has shown so far this season.
City's punishment is not expected to stop there. Once in England's second tier, City would likely face an additional points penalty large enough to prevent them from challenging for promotion. The exact size of such a deduction remains unclear, and it would depend on the English Football League agreeing to any Premier League involvement in their competition.
There are reportedly no relegation clauses in any City players' contracts, but the majority of the star-studded squad would almost certainly seek an exit rather than endure one or even two seasons in the Championship.
Beyond the sporting punishment, City are also set to receive a "huge" financial fine, though that is far from their most pressing concern.