Finance expert claims Man City could be docked 100 POINTS & relegated out of the Premier League if guilty verdict comes in after FFP trial

The reigning Premier League champions discovered early in 2023 that supposed monetary mismanagement at the Etihad Stadium would be falling under the microscope. A long-running saga is finally drawing to a close, with an independent hearing being concluded in December 2024.

City are now waiting on a verdict, with various punishments being speculated on, and have been informed that the worst case scenario could lead to them being stripped of three figures in the points department as they are dumped out of the English top-flight.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has told The Overlap Fan Debate brought to you by Sky Bet: “In the case of City, there's actually three charges. It's not 115. Has money come in from the owners which they pretend to be from the sponsors? If that is the case, then that is fraud. That is about as serious as it gets. And, if found guilty of those charges, then the book will be thrown at Manchester City and it's going to be a massive points deduction.

“You can't relegate them because the Premier League and the EFL are independent bodies, so the EFL doesn't have to accept them. Given the Everton and the Forest points deductions, they were both described by the commission of being ‘minor breaches’. Well, what Manchester City are being accused of is major breaches over a 9-10 year period. So, you would be looking at somewhere between 60 and 100 points if you go through on a charge by charge basis. So, it would relegate them.

“The paying people off-book, it happens in football. I know a number of players and ex-players who are working for the owners' company and also on a wage at the club. We've got history of players' mothers being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to be an academy scout in order for the player to have a slightly better deal and so on. Football is quite creative in those rules.

“And the third charge, which I think City will find difficult to defend, will be non-cooperation with the Premier League's investigation. Having said that, if my wife looks at my internet history, I'm in trouble! It shouldn't be done. You shouldn't be relying on hacked emails, and that's City's defence.”

Maguire added on the prospect of City appealing any ruling that hits them hard, with the expectation being that a drawn-out saga will be extended deep into 2025: “I think there are very narrow grounds for appeal. It's only if the conduct of the committee itself was unprofessional in some way that one of the parties can potentially make an appeal.

“If Manchester City are found guilty then the whole board of directors has to resign because they will have been found guilty of misrepresentation, effectively lying to a commission.”

The entire FFP saga has become an unwelcome distraction for City, who have endured uncharacteristic struggles for consistency this season, but Pep Guardiola has vowed to stay on as manager whatever happens – with the Catalan coach extending his contract through to 2027.