Manchester City
Premier League clubs weigh harsh sanctions as City case moves toward verdict
Rival clubs are divided over what punishment Manchester City should face after the latest findings.
Premier League rivals are said to be split over what punishment should follow the findings against Manchester City, with opinions ranging from a severe sporting sanction to a ruling that would still allow the club to remain in the division.
City could lose the three titles won during the period under scrutiny, from 2009 to 2018, although any punishment is expected to shape the present or future rather than rewrite the past. The matter now rests with an independent panel, while City prepare an appeal.
According to The Guardian, after discussions with executives from rival clubs, there is a strong push for a penalty heavy enough to keep City out of the top flight for the foreseeable future. A straight relegation is not available in the normal sense, as the English Football League is a separate body and would not be bound to accept anything beyond the three clubs traditionally sent down. Even so, a significant points deduction could leave City anchored near the bottom of the table.
Those quoted in the report do not want a sanction that feels temporary. Their concern is that a one-season absence would simply allow City to return and continue as before. One executive said: “Relegation to the Championship for one season would be insufficient,” one executive is quoted as saying. “The commission has to arrive at a punishment that is proportionate for years of sustained and deliberate cheating, as well as providing a strong deterrent to it happening again.”
The panel does have the power to remove City from the top flight altogether. Yet Sky Sports News reported that two senior executives from unnamed Premier League clubs would be “staggered” and “amazed” if enough clubs truly backed expulsion.
Commercial concerns are central to that reluctance. City remain one of the league’s biggest attractions, and their removal would create problems for scheduling and television rights. Fewer fixtures would mean reduced broadcast value, with possible refunds affecting money distributed across the division. “If Man City were expelled, that would have massive commercial consequences for everyone in the league, and ultimately it would cost the other clubs an awful lot of money,” one executive said.
The Independent Football Regulator, introduced in September 2025, is also watching closely. Its chair, David Kogan, said: “The independent commission’s decision raises serious issues,” Kogan said. “The IFR has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and we will use these powers where appropriate, in the interests of protecting the sustainability, honesty and integrity of English football where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals.
“This includes taking account of findings made by the Leagues. However, as the proceedings remain ongoing between Manchester City and the Premier League we will await further developments.
“We hope it can be resolved quickly for the sake of fans. For now, we have no further comment.”
Manchester City
Tuchel says Manchester City verdict has become an England talking point
Tuchel says Manchester City’s guilty verdict is being discussed in England camp during the break.
Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged that the guilty verdict against Manchester City has spilled into England camp discussions during the international break.
The England manager said the situation is being talked about openly among his players, with uncertainty over possible punishments continuing to hang over the club. A range of sanctions has been suggested, some of which could have serious consequences for the team and the players who represent it.
Tuchel said the matter has naturally entered everyday conversation around the squad. “I think it is a distraction,” said Tuchel, whose England roster includes Marc Guéhi and Elliot Anderson after left back Nico O’Reilly withdrew from injury. “It is. Let’s say it is a subject. If it’s a distraction, I don’t know.
“It is of course a topic and we speak about it at dinner and at a table of eight or 12 people. We speak about it at breakfast. I know the Man City players get a lot of messages and phone calls and feedback about it.
“Are they worried or concerned? I think that would be a very human reaction if you don’t know what’s going on for the club that you signed. They’re still young. They’re ambitious. They’re told they are totally innocent and don’t know what’s going on. It is a subject.
“I am again not sure if it’s a distraction. I don’t see it when I see them in my meetings. I don’t see it how they behave with other teammates, and I don’t see it in training being a distraction. But it’s a topic. How can’t it be?”
City have appealed the verdict and continue to insist on their innocence. No timetable has been set for any punishment, and the next legal stage with the Premier League may yet shape what happens.
While the players themselves would not be directly punished, the wider effect could be significant. Expulsion from the Premier League would leave them in limbo, while a points deduction or relegation could alter both earnings and future careers.
The issue is also being discussed beyond England. Players are away with Argentina, France and Uzbekistan, while Wales midfielder Ethan Ampadu, of Leeds United, said the subject has reached that camp too. “Everyone has talked about it,” Ampadu said.
Manchester City
Cavan Sullivan’s Manchester City move remains on course despite verdict fallout
Cavan Sullivan’s move to Manchester City stays on track despite the club’s financial verdict and appeal.
Cavan Sullivan’s route to Manchester City remains in place, even as the club’s financial case continues to cast a shadow over the future.
Two years ago, the 14-year-old committed his future to City when he came of age. That plan now sits against the backdrop of a major ruling against the club, who were found guilty of 114 of 115 charges related to breaches of Premier League financial regulations. The case centred on allegations that City used “sham” contracts and agreements to boost revenue and cut costs by £900 million ($1.2 billion) across the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons.
City are appealing, and the process has already stretched into a three-year saga. The possible sanctions remain significant, with anything from a transfer ban to relegation still mentioned as possibilities if the club cannot overturn the verdict.
Much of the attention has understandably focused on the impact for established names, but Sullivan is also part of the wider picture. His path to the Premier League may have become more complicated, yet his destination has not changed. The Athletic report that the Philadelphia-native is still expected to make Etihad Stadium his new home in January 2028.
For now, “nothing has changed” for Sullivan, whose contract remains “intact.” The next stage of his career is still mapped out as it was in 2024. Sullivan has not commented on the situation, according to sources at the Philadelphia Union.
All signs point to a farewell to his boyhood club and a move to Manchester in 15 months, though the exact circumstances remain uncertain. If City’s appeal takes as long as the original investigation, Sullivan could arrive before any punishment affects the club’s standing. A heavier points deduction or expulsion before then would alter the outlook, but that remains impossible to call at this stage.
His stock continues to rise. Sullivan was named MLS Player of the Month for September 2026, becoming the youngest player ever to win the award, after delivering a league-high nine goal contributions that month. A senior call-up for the U.S. men’s national team added further momentum, with Sullivan making his debut in a 4-1 win over Peru before coming off the bench in the 4-2 win over Chile.
Manchester City
Opta simulations map out Manchester City’s season under possible points penalties
Opta’s modelling shows how Manchester City’s title, top-four and relegation chances shift under points deductions.
The old saying that the table never lies has rarely felt more complicated than it does now, with Manchester City facing the fallout from an investigation into more than 100 alleged breaches of regulations. While the punishment for previous seasons is still unresolved, attention is also fixed on the current campaign, where a points deduction of some size remains a real possibility.
Opta have modelled a range of outcomes to show how different sanctions could reshape the Premier League picture. Their projections suggest the impact would be felt not only in the title race, but also in the fight for European places and, at the extreme end, even relegation.
With no deduction, City’s title chances stand at 40%. A five-point penalty reduces that to 25%, while 10 points drops it to 15%. At 15 points, the figure falls to 7%, and at 20 points it is down to 3%. A 25-point deduction leaves City with less than a 1% chance of lifting the title.
Even so, City’s prospects of finishing in the top four appear more resilient. Opta give them a 90% chance without a deduction, falling to 62% with 10 points removed and 28% if the sanction reaches 20 points. At 30 points, the chance is only 6%, and at 40 points it is below 1%.
The relegation picture becomes serious only at the harsher end of the scale. Opta put City’s chances of going down at less than 5% with a deduction of 20 points or fewer, and less than 20% at 30 points or fewer. A 40-point penalty would make relegation more likely than not, while 60 points would almost certainly send them down and 74 points would guarantee it.
The Premier League cannot directly relegate Manchester City to the Championship, but it can expel them from the competition. The most realistic route to demotion would be a deduction so severe that it leaves no escape.
