Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges brought against them by the Premier League over serious breaches of its financial regulations, prompting discussion about a potential punishment. If trophies from a nine-year period are retrospectively stripped, Manchester United would be the biggest beneficiaries, while Arsenal and Liverpool would each gain a League Cup.
Guilty verdict and potential sanctions
The verdict, first reported by The Athletic on September 25, was delivered by the Premier League through an independent commission on Tuesday (September 29) following an investigation and legal process spanning several years. The financial fair play breaches relate to a period between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, when Manchester City won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three League Cups and one Community Shield.
Manchester City have the right to appeal the independent commission's findings and have until October 2 to exercise that right. City insist they will fight the charges "on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe".
What each club would gain
A wide range of punishments are said to be on the table, from substantial fines to points deductions or even possibly expulsion from the Premier League or the retrospective stripping of titles. The scenario of Manchester City being retrospectively stripped of trophies won during the period has caught the attention of many Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United supporters on social media.
Despite the appeals of many Arsenal fans as soon as reports emerged, they would not be awarded a single retrospective Premier League title, because the seasons in which they finished runners-up to Manchester City have not been under investigation. The Gunners would, however, get a League Cup after being beaten 3-0 by City in the 2017-18 final at Wembley.
Jurgen Klopp's comments about having a parade in his garden to celebrate a retrospective Liverpool Premier League title resurfaced on Friday, though the season in question is 2013-14 when Brendan Rodgers was in charge of the Reds. The German would, however, be able to celebrate a League Cup after losing the 2015-16 final on penalties to a Manchester City side then managed by Manuel Pellegrini.
Manchester United the biggest beneficiaries
Manchester United were twice runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League during the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, meaning two more league titles would be on their way to Old Trafford. Former United defender Rio Ferdinand has been vocal about this on X, formerly Twitter, even pushing a case for Jose Mourinho, who has always spoken highly of that second-placed finish in 2017-18.
