Man City get 100-point ‘guarantee relegation’ warning in FFP fight as Premier League champions sweat on guilty verdict in 115-charge case

The reigning Premier League champions maintain that they have done nothing wrong, with the decision taken to spend big again during the winter transfer window of 2025. That spree was sanctioned despite at least 115 Financial Fair Play charges casting a concerning cloud over the Etihad Stadium.

An independent hearing into supposed monetary mismanagement reached a conclusion in late 2024, but there has been no official word on any wrongdoing or potential punishments. That is helping to keep the rumour mill ticking over – with points deductions, transfer embargoes and top-flight expulsion being speculated on.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has told the ‘Football on Trial: The Manchester City Charges’ podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live: “A points deduction would be the most likely outcome should the club be found guilty. As for the quantum of points deduction, if Everton were initially given a 10 points deduction for going around about £10/12 million over the limits in one particular season, I think, in order to set an example to the rest of football, it’s got to act as a deterrent.

“We’ll probably be looking at somewhere in the region of 60 to 100-point, which would effectively guarantee relegation out of the Premier League and into the lower tiers of football in the EFL.”

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He went on to say: “The other thing that would happen is that the board of directors at Manchester City effectively would be proven to be liars and misrepresenting the state of the football club to the authorities; I don’t see how they can keep their jobs.”

It has been claimed that City could be denied entry into the EFL ranks if they were to be removed from the Premier League, but Maguire doubts that would be the case. He added: “There has been a suggestion that the EFL might refuse to accept Manchester City in terms of its competition, but looking at their rulebook, I don’t think that is feasible.”

City are expected to appeal any sanctions passed in their direction, which could see a protracted saga drag on beyond the end of the 2024-25 campaign. For now, Pep Guardiola’s side are focused on chasing down a top-four finish and another FA Cup triumph.