Manchester City Face Potential 60-Point Dediction Over 115 Financial Charges
Manchester City could be facing a devastating 40 to 60 point deduction if found guilty of the most serious charges against them, according to a leading football finance expert. The club and the Premier League have been waiting for 14 months for a verdict in the high-profile case involving 115 alleged financial breaches between 2009 and 2018.
Lengthy Deliberation and Complex Evidence
The hearing into Manchester City's alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules concluded in December 2024 following an extensive 12-week tribunal. However, the independent commission has yet to make its conclusion public, with both sides still awaiting the final decision. Manchester City have consistently denied any wrongdoing and are understood to be confident of being cleared of all charges.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire, who has followed the case closely, estimates that approximately 500,000 pieces of evidence were presented by both the defence and prosecution during the tribunal proceedings. The complexity of the case and the sheer volume of evidence have contributed significantly to the lengthy deliberation period.
Precedent Points to Severe Punishment
Maguire suggests that looking at recent precedents provides insight into the potential severity of punishment Manchester City could face. "If we take a look at precedents, we've had Everton and Nottingham Forest with six and four-point deductions for a single offence covering a three-year period," Maguire explained during The Overlap Fan Debate.
"The accusations against Manchester City cover a nine-year period, so it's far bigger. The numbers involved, we're not certain about, but they're likely to be quite significant. So I think you have to add a zero to what we've seen from Forest and Everton, so somewhere between a 40 and 60-point deduction would, I think, on merit, be consistent with what we've seen from other decisions on logic."
Corporate Fraud Allegations and Potential Consequences
The nature of the allegations against Manchester City distinguishes this case from previous Financial Fair Play violations. "The accusations against Manchester City are why it's taking so long," Maguire noted. "Corporate fraud is a very serious accusation. The board of directors would have to go."
Maguire drew parallels with the Juventus case in Serie A, where the board had to resign when claims about player wages were proven to be untrue. "I think there's an honesty thing here, if Manchester City are proven to be guilty. And that could mean a complete restructure of the club."
Timeline for Verdict and Logistical Challenges
Maguire believes a verdict should come in the next few months, with Manchester City and the Premier League likely to receive 24 hours' notice before it is made public. However, he acknowledged the logistical challenges that have contributed to the delay.
"I think part of the challenge is that, because there are three very senior people on the call for making that final judgement, getting those three together at the same time is actually very difficult and that has delayed the case," Maguire explained. "It should be resolved in the next few months, but we've said this before. But there's an awful lot of evidence to go through and the charges are very very serious so you've got to have enough evidence."
The Premier League cannot relegate Manchester City to League One or League Two directly, as that would be an EFL decision and Manchester City have not faced any charges from the EFL. This limitation means that a points deduction represents the most likely form of punishment if the club is found guilty.
The football world continues to watch closely as this landmark case approaches its conclusion, with potential ramifications that could reshape the competitive landscape of English football for years to come.
