Manchester City have been found guilty on virtually all counts of breaching the Premier League's financial rules, and the whole of football now awaits the punishment that will be handed out. The league this week confirmed that an independent panel had upheld the 114 charges that between 2009 and 2018 the club had created 'sham' contracts with commercial partners to help bring in more than £830m of revenue.
City continue to deny any wrongdoing and have a window of appeal, but the scale of the verdict has prompted strong reactions across the sport. Events have been closely monitored in Newcastle, where the Magpies have been under scrutiny ever since the Saudi-backed PIF takeover in 2021. United have had strict financial rules to adhere to, which has seen them forced to sell top stars such as Elliot Anderson, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali as they build their revenue streams.
Newcastle writers give their verdicts
With speculation over what happens next rife, the team of NUFC writers have given their verdict on what should happen to the disgraced former champions.
Lee Ryder said he does not agree with asterisks being placed next to titles or any team being stripped of cups, and the trophy being historically passed on to somebody else. He noted that wealthy owners coming in and lifting a team from the doldrums after bad ownership is something close to home for Newcastle United after the club's own Middle East takeover in 2021. But he added that there is now clarity from the Premier League that the rules have indeed been broken.
"If City are guilty, the punishment needs to be significant of course to deter others following the same path," he said. "I think calculating points per season is long-winded so I'd say a double demotion to League One is sufficient with a financial penalty thrown in."
Demotion and points deductions debated
Sean McCormick said what has been proven in the independent inquiry is that Manchester City have committed financial doping on an industrial scale for the best part of a decade. He called it the biggest case of cheating in Premier League history and said their statement on Tuesday reassured him that they will take the strongest possible action against them.
"For me, that has to be a hefty fine and a points deduction that makes relegation a very real possibility, anywhere in the region of -40 and -50 points," he said. "The deterrent the Premier League send out in these sanctions have to be the strongest possible to prevent any club doing this again."
Ross Gregory described it as an incredible story, the biggest in the Premier League's near 35-year history, and said the scale of it means that the punishment must be historic too. "City simply can't remain in the league. They need to be expelled. Not just relegated to the Championship, where they will bounce back immediately and be back in Europe before we know it, but demoted to at least League One, possibly League Two," he said. "That would be for the EFL to decide, of course, but nothing else seems fitting."
Compensation and long-term impact
Stuart Jamieson said whatever punishment comes Man City's way has to be huge. "Forget any sympathy for the players, the findings of the inquiry have proved what the club achieved on the pitch was only done so by breaking the rules off it," he said. He said he would be in favour of a hefty points deduction in each of the next five seasons, starting each campaign off on -25 points for the foreseeable future, which would at least mean they would struggle to qualify for Europe - or the Champions League at least.
He added that financial compensation for Newcastle United and their Premier League rivals would be a murky business. "Assessing potential lost revenue would be a minefield, so we have to accept that what is done, is done when it comes to on-field achievements."
