are celebrating after beating Arsenal to this season’s title.
However, a cloud is hanging over City’s recent domestic success given the club were back in February for breaking its financial rules.
This has led many in the game wondering if the club could be stripped of the league titles they won during the alleged period of offending.
Here is the latest on Manchester City’s charges.
What have Manchester City been charged with?
Manchester City have been charged more than 100 times by the for breaking the competition’s financial fair play rules between 2009 and 2018.
This time period starts just a year after the .
The Premier League allege that City failed to give ‘a true and fair view of the club’s financial position’ by misleading regulators over its sponsorship income and operating costs.
They are also accused of not providing full details over player and manager salaries, of breaking various profit and sustainability rules and of failing to comply with the Premier League’s investigation.
The club said in a statement when the charges were announced back in February: ‘Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with.
‘The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
‘As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.’
Manchester City were banned from the Champions League by UEFA for breaking financial rules and misleading the governing body in 2020, only for the ban to be overturned by the court of arbitration for sport on appeal.
Could they be stripped of their titles?
In theory, Manchester City could be stripped of the three Premier League titles they won in that timeframe (2011/12, 2013/14 and 2017/18).
If indeed this does happen, it would mark the first time in English football history that a club has been stripped of a league title in retrospect.
The Premier League has referred the club to an independent commission, who has the ability to recommend a whole host of punishments.
The commission consists of 15 members, appointed by the Premier League’s judicial panel, which will include judges, attorneys and football administrators.
The Premier League has not identified what punishments Manchester City could face if they are found guilty, but a list of possible sanctions are currently listed in the competition’s rulebook.
Manchester City's available punishments if guilty
- Suspend a club from playing league matches
- Points deductions
- Recommend to the board that league matches be replayed
- Recommend to the board that the league expels the respondent club
- Order compensation
- Cancel or refuse registration of players
- Conditional punishment
- Order the club to pay costs
- Make such other order as it thinks fit
According to , fellow Premier League clubs are said to favour City being relegated instead of stripping away their previous titles.
Crucially, the club will not be able to appeal against any punishments decided on by the independent commission.
There has been no timeframe specified for how long the process could take, and given the commission’s work will be private and confidential, the media will not be able to report on proceedings.
The public will only know the outcome when the decision is published on the Premier League’s website.
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