Three possible major outcomes of the charges against Manchester City

The club is facing a tricky situation that can invite plenty of troubles in the forthcoming days.

Premier League dropped a bombshell recently by charging Manchester City with breaching financial fair play (FFP) rules over the course of nine years. The league announced on Monday that the Cityzens breached the FFP rules over 100 times between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. The FFP is a set of rules and regulations introduced to prevent clubs from overspending and limit their expenditure to only what they earn.

Breaching the regulations can lead to severe consequences, including fines, points deductions, or even exclusion from the competitions. As it stands, Manchester City finds itself in a massive scandal where, as per the charges, it tried to conceal its spending through a complex web of financial arrangements. 

For instance, according to reports from England, the club was not honest in disclosing the financial details of contracts. This is not the first occasion where MCFC has been charged with breaching the FFP rules. Previously, UEFA had banned the club from its competitions and imposed a fine on it. However, the ban was overturned after the English club made an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

The situation with the Premier League authorities accusing the club of breaching the regulations on 100 different counts could lead to disastrous outcomes. Here is a look at the three major outcomes Manchester City could face:

Points Deduction

A points deduction is a realistic outcome that can severely affect the club’s ongoing campaign. It will make it difficult for Manchester City to win the Premier League’s 2022-23 season or even finish in top-four positions that ensure UEFA Champions League qualification.

As compared to other possible outcomes, a points deduction still seems lenient. A points deduction with a transfer ban is also a possible outcome that the club would like to ideally avoid. Pep Guardiola’s men are in a title race with Arsenal and Manchester United; a points deduction will throw them out of it.

Expulsion from the Premier League

In the past, clubs like Juventus have been relegated from the top division due to involvement in scandals. Manchester City breaching the FFP rules on 100 counts is a grave violation that can cause the league authorities to prevent them from competing in the top flight.

Relegation into the second tier of the football pyramid could be catastrophic to the club’s image. It would also lead to a lot of player sales where world-class players would be open to moving to other clubs and competing in major competitions. 

Stripping of league titles

In what could be the worst-case scenario for Manchester City, the Premier League authorities could strip them of their league titles won during the nine-year period ranging from 2009-10 to 2017-18. In this period, MCFC won three league titles in 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2017-18.

If the outcome of the charges leads to the stripping of the titles, then Manchester City’s domestic success will be wiped out. Furthermore, the league titles will likely be awarded to the second-placed team or voided for that season.