Man City FFP: Five potential punishments ranked on impact after bombshell verdict revealed | OneFootball

Well, no one thought it would end up being this bad for Manchester City, did they?

We are nearing four years since the Premier League referred Man City’s case to an independent comission after accusing the club of breaching 115 Financial Fair Play rules between 2009 and 2018.

In that time, very little has happened, and most had become apathetic to the prolonged saga until David Ornstein dropped that bombshell on an otherwise quiet Friday afternoon in the international break.

Ornstein revealed that an independent comission had found Man City guilty on 114 of 115 charges after their alleged breaches of the Premier League’s FFP regulations, and the pitchforks are out as the footballing world debates how the club will be punished.

Before Friday’s shocking development, Man City had been unmoved in their confidence in their innocence, which is proved by the bullish manner in which they have gone about their transfer business with massive spending in recent windows.

They also retained star player Erling Haaland, who could now be lured elsewhere, on a ludicrous contract until 2034 and kept legendary manager Pep Guardiola for longer than expected, with signs pointing to Man City escaping this case with little more than a weak slap on the wrist.

But now that the verdict has gone so badly against Man City, it is said that “all hell is going to break loose” and they face the severest of punishments if/when their appeal fails.

So which sanction would impact them the most? Below, we’ve ranked them from least to most severe…

5) A fine

Liverpool and Newcastle United’s owners allegedly have deeper pockets than Man City’s Sheikh Mansour, but he is certainly not short of a pound or two.

So, while a multi-million-pound fine would be enough to send certain English clubs into turmoil, it would not even scratch the surface at Man City, though they would be hit harder if four Premier League rivals got their wish with substantial compensation.

For a while, the weakest possible punishment of a fine felt like the most likely sanction, but it would no longer be sufficient after Man City were found guilty on almost all charges.

4) Transfer ban

Man City would not be seriously impacted behind the scenes if they are handed a huge fine, and the same cannot be said on the pitch if they are given a transfer ban for their alleged misdemeanours.

This would have been a bigger problem if Man City were sanctioned before their squad rebuild began in January 2025 with investment of around, and they are now £334m in the red for transfer spending since the start of the 2025/26 season.

Obviously, Man City would prefer to have the freedom to continue improving their squad in the coming months and years to keep pace with Arsenal and others, but their recent lavish spending means Enzo Maresca already has a top-class squad at his disposal that can compete for the biggest trophies, provided their biggest stars are not offloaded if/when they receive a more severe punishment…

3) Points deduction

Now, onto the tastier solutions. A points deduction would at least end Man City’s title aspirations for another season, especially with Arsenal looking a safe bet to amass 85+ points again to retain their crown.

But a deduction punishment is more likely to leave Man City looking over their shoulders for relegation, while it could even make a bottom-three finish inevitable.

Based on last season’s standings, a 40-point deduction would have sent Man City to the Championship by finishing a point behind 18th-placed West Ham United, and there is talk that the deduction will be at least 50 points if the initial verdict is not overturned.

If that’s the case, Man City would have to produce a Premier League title-winning season based on results to avoid relegation, especially with the fight at the bottom looking closer than previous years.

As unplausible as survival would be, at least avoiding relegation could be somewhat in Man City’s hands, while they would have no control if they were handed another punishment.

2) Expulsion

Immediate expulsion to the Championship (or below) would perhaps be the dream scenario for most of Man City’s Premier League rivals, though it would mean there is no title race this season with no other side looking capable of challenging Arsenal.

Still, for the elder, non-glory supporter contingent of the Man City fanbase, a nostalgia-filled stint in the Football League could even be welcomed for old-time’s sake.

The prospect of Man City doing a Rangers and climbing back up through the divisions would be a refreshing respite for onlookers of the Premier League who had grown tired of their relentless dominance or recent return to the periphery of the title scene.

While this could simply delay the inevitable as Man City lay the groundwork for another period at the top, that would at least be a long, long way away as the gap to their Big Six rivals will grow with each season they are away.

1) Being stripped of Premier League titles

As inconvenient as some of these punishments would be, it would not take away Man City’s recent history with eight Premier League title wins and one Champions League triumph.

If their guilt remains proven, a rather large asterisk would hover like a dark cloud over Man City’s period of supremacy, but supporters would – even if it made themselves and rivals feel uneasy – still be able to cling to the fact that their trophy haul remains intact.

Yet should Man City’s titles be snatched away, not only would rivals such as Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd gleefully accept their delayed crowning moments, but this drastic action would undo the unbelievable work done by Pep Guardiola and the less-famous decision-makers behind the scenes who have collectively transformed them into an elite force in the footballing world.

While their immaculate structure would remain in place, their recent history of success would be diminished as, on paper, they would return to being a middling Premier League side who are striving to emerge from under the shadow of local (and superior) rivals Manchester United.