Manchester City could face a staggering points deduction, potentially in the triple digits, if found guilty of alleged Premier League financial rule breaches, it has been claimed.
City vehemently deny all charges and have already claimed two victories against the Premier League in different legal battles regarding Associated Party Transactions (APT) regulations.
This week, an independent tribunal ruled sponsorship rules in place between 2021 and 2024 “void and unenforceable”.
Regarding the 100-plus charges that City face, manager Pep Guardiola has indicated that a verdict is expected in the near future, stating on February 7: “In one month, I think there will be a verdict and the sentence.”
The independent commission, which deliberated over the charges from September to December last year, holds the authority to impose severe sanctions.
Those include point deductions, as seen with Everton and Nottingham Forest, who were docked eight and four points respectively last season for similar infringements.
Speaking on the Tear Us Apart podcast, football finance expert Kieran Maguire weighed in on the potential repercussions for Manchester City.
He said: “It has to be a points deduction – if found guilty. We are looking at a points deduction somewhere in the region of 60 to 100 points.”
Maguire also highlighted the implications for the club’s board of directors, suggesting that their positions would become untenable should they be proven to have misrepresented the club’s financial situation.
“The other thing that would happen is that the board of directors at Manchester City effectively would be proven to be liars and misrepresenting the state of the football club to the authorities,” Maguire added.
“I don’t see how they can keep their jobs. Certainly we saw in the case of Juventus, who have done something similar [to what City are charged with] that the whole board of directors had to resign.”
The entire Juventus board, including president Andrea Agnelli and vice-president Pavel Nedved, stepped down in November 2022 before the Italian club was hit with a 15-point deduction the following January, which was later reduced to a 10-point penalty.
City’s board comprises chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Martin Edelman, Simon Pearce, John MacBeath, Alberto Galassi and Abdulla Khouri.
