Premier League chief warns Man City face ’70-80’ points deduction if found guilty of 115 charges

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with the Premier League trophy ( Image: PA)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with the Premier League trophy ( Image: PA)

Manchester City are set for a hearing over their 115 Premier League charges, and the reigning top-flight champions could end up facing relegation if found guilty

Manchester City could face the kind of points deduction that would all but guarantee relegation if found guilty in their upcoming hearing over their 115 Premier League charges

City’s hearing is expected to begin next month, with proceedings anticipated to last around 10 weeks. The Premier League champions, who have won the title in each of the last four seasons, deny any wrongdoing. 

If found guilty, though, City could be in line for significant punishment. Specifics have not been shared ahead of the hearing, but fines and points deductions are both thought to be among the possibilities.

One unnamed exec expects any points penalty to lie between 70 and 80 points, all but guaranteeing relegation. City finished last season on 91 points, putting them 65 clear of 18th-place Luton Town.

“The collective view I’ve heard is that an appropriate sanction would have to be a points deduction so substantial — we are talking here between 70 and 80 points — that it guarantees City a season in the Championship,” the unnamed exec told The Athletic. Another unnamed individual suggested the club could face deductions over three successive seasons, a move which would damage their hopes of Champions League qualification.

Earlier in the week, Premier League chief Richard Masters indicated the importance of resolving City’s case sooner rather than later. “It is time now for the case to resolve itself,” Masters told BBC Sport.“It’s been going on for a number of years and I think it’s self-evident that the case needs to be heard and answered.” 

Speaking to a DCMS committee back in April, he reflected on other points deductions handed out to Everton and Nottingham Forest last season. "If any club, the current champions or otherwise, had been found in breach of the spending rules for 2023 they would be in exactly the same position as Everton or Nottingham Forest but the volume and character of the charges laid before Man City – which I obviously cannot talk about at all – are being heard in a completely different environment,” he said.

City will begin their latest title defence against Chelsea on Sunday. Manager Pep Guardiola is looking to make a fast start, and he has previously indicated he would not walk away if the club are found guilty. 

"At the moment we are innocent until it is proved we are guilty," Guardiola said of the charges in 2023. "I know the people want it. I know, I feel it. I will wait. Wait and see it and after the sentence has been done we will come here and explain it.

"But absolutely I will not consider my future (if) it depends being here or being in League One. Absolutely. There is more chance to stay if we are in League One than if we were in the Champions League."

David Wilson

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