Manchester City
Regulator Warns Manchester City Owners Could Be Forced Into Sale
The IFR says it can force Manchester City’s owners to sell, pending the appeal outcome.
The Independent Football Regulator has raised the stakes around Manchester City’s ongoing case, with chair David Kogan saying the body has the power to force a sale of the club’s owners if that is judged to be the right sanction.
Manchester City, eight-time Premier League champions, are appealing after being found guilty of financial misconduct spanning nine years. The outcome of that appeal is currently due by Jan. 23, 2027, and any punishment would follow only once that process is complete.
Kogan made clear that no final judgment will be taken before the appeal is heard, but he did not shy away from the regulator’s authority. When asked whether City could resist a sale, he said: “No, no, no. We’ve got absolute power to do so.”
He also stressed that the IFR would not rush to a conclusion before the facts are fully tested. “I am not going to get pushed into making any judgment on this until we’ve seen all of those questions being answered. Then we will have to decide whether we’re going to mount our own investigation and come to a conclusion on that and what we’re going to do. And pre-empting that would be a colossal mistake,” he said.
The case has already drawn strong reaction from outside England. La Liga president Javier Tebas has been one of the most vocal critics of City since the guilty verdict, calling for “justice” for the Premier League and European football more broadly.
Speaking at the SPORTEL business conference in Monaco, Tebas said: “I’m interested in understanding how this story will end. It is important for both the Premier League and the European football ecosystem,” Tebas said. “There are people who have had to leave UEFA because of Manchester City, so I think we need justice for the Premier League, for Europe and UEFA.”
He was equally direct at the FIFPRO performance summit last month, adding: “I don’t know the exact rules, but I believe it should be the strictest punishment in the Premier League regulations regarding this matter,” the La Liga chief exclaimed.
Manchester City
Where Manchester City’s leading players might land if relegation follows
A look at where Manchester City’s biggest names could go if relegation triggers a major summer exit.
Manchester City are living through an unusual moment in Premier League history, suspended between judgment and punishment. The draft suggests there are no relegation clauses in any City player contracts, which would quickly turn any sanction into a series of difficult conversations with agents in the weeks and months ahead.
It is still hard to picture players such as Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki in the EFL next season. But if the worst outcome arrives, City’s biggest names would already be considering how to get out. That could set up a remarkable summer window, with one of the largest exits of elite talent from a single club since Juventus lost several major figures in the summer of 2006 after Calciopoli.
The possible destinations are varied, and in some cases obvious. Bayern Munich look like a natural fit for an elite goalkeeper, especially with Manuel Neuer’s contract due to expire next summer. Inter Milan are presented as a strong option for an experienced central defender, particularly with Manuel Akanji and John Stones already in the frame. Liverpool are also part of the picture, with Virgil van Dijk’s deal expiring next summer.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are described as being strong in 2026-27 but still in need of more defensive depth, making Gvardiol an attractive solution for both left back and centre back. Chelsea are then linked with another academy graduate, continuing a pattern that the draft treats as almost inevitable.
There is also a case for a midfield enforcer moving to Liverpool, while PSG are singled out as a likely home for Rayan Cherki. Fernández is said to have previously told some YouTubers that he would love to live in Madrid, but the draft notes that Real Madrid publicly ruled out a transfer last summer. A switch to Atlético Madrid is framed as a possible alternative.
Foden stays. Doku is then cast as an ideal attacking fit for Arsenal, while Everton are treated as a familiar destination. Aston Villa are also mentioned as a possible landing spot for wide quality, provided they can handle the wages without creating fresh financial trouble.
Manchester City
Report claims City punishment could be announced before appeal is resolved
A report says City could learn the scale of any punishment before their appeal concludes.
A fresh report has suggested the Premier League want Manchester City’s punishment made public before their appeal is heard to its conclusion.
The charges were first brought in February 2023, and City have consistently maintained their innocence throughout the case. Even after the official verdict, which the club dismissed as an “opinion” tied to a “Premier League conspiracy theory”, they continue to contest the damage to their name.
Their appeal rests on what has been described as a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence.” It is understood that a wide set of Abu Dhabi government documents forms the basis of the argument, which says the “artificially inflated” revenue streams were boosted by state funding rather than by City’s owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also vice president and deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.
The process is still ongoing. Under the Premier League’s newer rules, a three-person panel must hear the case within 12 weeks of the appeal being lodged, which in this instance lands on Christmas Eve. A ruling must then follow within 30 days, taking the matter into the third week of January. City may also argue that no deadline should apply because those rules were introduced after the period in question.
According to the Daily Mail, the Premier League are pressing for the scale of any punishment to be announced before the appeal is settled. That would not be without precedent, with Everton having first been hit with a 10-point deduction in November 2023 before it was later reduced to six points the following February.
The same report says City’s most likely sanction is a “swingeing” points deduction severe enough to all but ensure relegation. Opta’s supercomputer suggests that could mean around 60 points, based on the start made by Enzo Maresca’s side this season.
The report also claims the punishment may not stop there. If City were to drop into England’s second tier, another points penalty could follow to keep them out of promotion contention, although the size of that sanction would be unclear and would depend on the English Football League accepting any Premier League involvement.
Manchester City
Maresca waits on Haaland fitness as Semenyo setback leaves City short
Maresca is waiting on Haaland’s fitness while Semenyo’s injury leaves City needing other solutions.
Enzo Maresca has revealed that Erling Haaland faces a late check before Tuesday’s Champions League clash with AEK Athens, while Antoine Semenyo is set for an extended spell out after sustaining a foot injury.
The Manchester City manager struck a cautiously upbeat note on Haaland, though he made clear there are still doubts over the striker’s availability.
“He can be available,” Maresca said optimistically. “We will see. We have some doubts. He was quite good yesterday.”
The mood shifted when the discussion moved to Semenyo. The winger came on in Saturday’s match for the final 13 minutes, only to finish the game injured. The expectation now is that he will miss around eight weeks.
“In the first moment, we expected a worse injury, after yesterday’s scan, we feel better,” Maresca admitted. “It will be eight weeks, so when he is back in December, it will be like a new player. To lose Antoine, or any player, is not good.
“In terms of Erling, we said we can use Antoine as a 9 but we have different players to try. We will see, at the moment it is Erling, we don’t need to think about another one.”
The issue for City is that the squad does not include another natural striker, leaving Maresca with limited straightforward alternatives if Haaland is ruled out. That problem is made more acute by the fact that Julián Alvarez and Omar Marmoush have both already been tried as backup options in recent seasons, with the latter moved on to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer after confidence that Semenyo could cover centrally when required.
If Haaland is unavailable against AEK Athens, or later when City go to Aston Villa on Saturday, Maresca may need to rely on a less conventional solution. Phil Foden is one possibility, having spent significant time in a central role during the 2021–22 season.
“For sure he can be one of the solutions,” Maresca said of Foden. “He has played there in the past.”
