Little appetite inside Premier League to strip Man City of past trophi

BBC Sport has been told there is little appetite within the Premier League and among clubs to strip Manchester City of the eight trophies they won between 2009 and 2018 — the period at the centre of the league's financial investigation. That position, however, does not remove the possibility of retrospective sanctions: an independent disciplinary panel is yet to hold the sanction hearing and retains the power to decide penalties.

WHAT HAPPENED

Manchester City have been found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them in relation to alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules. The allegations include inflating sponsorship revenue from connected companies and making other "off the books" payments said to have been used to circumvent the regulations. The case also covers an alleged failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations between December 2018 and February 2023.

WHAT PUNISHMENTS ARE POSSIBLE

Premier League rules list fines, points deductions or expulsion as possible punishments, and they also allow a disciplinary commission to impose a penalty "as it shall think fit." That wording means retrospective points deductions or the stripping of titles cannot be formally ruled out. Media reporting has indicated that a points deduction, a large fine or even expulsion are thought to be more likely outcomes than title-stripping.

WHY IT MATTERS

If the panel were to apply retrospective sanctions to trophies, it would raise wider questions about other clubs and eras. The piece notes scepticism about trophies won by other teams in the 2010s — for example, Chelsea were previously found to have made secret payments to agents between 2011 and 2018 — and observers say retrospective action could open complex and contentious comparisons.

REACTIONS AND CONTEXT

The possibility of titles being reassigned has been a talking point in public and on social media. Jose Mourinho once raised the hypothetical of Manchester United being awarded the 2018 title, when United finished runners-up to City by 19 points. Jurgen Klopp also joked that he would throw a party if Liverpool were somehow awarded titles for seasons in which they finished second to City during the period covered by the investigation.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The independent panel will hold the sanction hearing and make a final decision. Until that process concludes, no outcome is certain.

Little appetite inside Premier League to strip Man City of past trophies, but threat remains