"We lived through a period of deception." That was Mauricio Pochettino's reaction to the Manchester City verdict — and he's right. An independent disciplinary commission has found City guilty of systematically breaking Premier League financial rules across nearly a decade, and the fallout is only just beginning.
City, owned by the Abu Dhabi-controlled City Football Group, are rejecting the verdict completely. Their statement was unambiguous: "The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions." An appeal is coming. The process now is one of the most complex in English football history.
What sanctions are actually on the table?
The independent commission can issue a reprimand, a fine, a suspension, a points deduction, or full expulsion from the Premier League. No club has ever been expelled from the top flight in England — that context alone tells you how unprecedented the upper end of this outcome would be.
The most severe points deduction in Premier League history was 10 points handed to Everton in 2023 for overspending across a single three-year period. That was later reduced to six on appeal. City's breaches are wider, longer, and — critically — included a refusal to cooperate. That detail matters when sanctions are calculated.
If expelled, City could apply to enter League Two, the fourth tier. That is not a theoretical worst case. The EFL's own regulations explicitly account for it.
Compensation claims and criminal liability
No club has publicly filed for compensation yet, but several had already sought legal advice before the verdict landed. The precedent is already set: Everton were ordered to pay Burnley over £35 million this year after Burnley argued they would have avoided relegation in 2021-22 had Everton received their eventual points deduction at the time.
City's situation multiplies that logic across years and across the table. Top clubs could argue lost titles or Champions League spots — worth tens of millions per season. Lower-finishing sides could claim relegation or reduced prize money as a direct consequence of City's expensively built squads. The compensation exposure here could dwarf anything English football has seen.
Then there's the question of criminal liability. Lord Cruddas told the BBC: "If accounts have been falsified and auditors have been misled, then it is potentially a criminal matter." Under the Fraud Act 2006, that carries up to 10 years in prison. No criminal investigation has been announced. But it's on the table in a way it wasn't before Wednesday.
- The Independent Football Regulator — a government-backed body — has also confirmed it will assess the suitability of City's owners, directors, and executives
- IFR chairman David Kogan said the verdict "raises serious issues" and the regulator has the power to remove club owners found unsuitable
- City's appeal hearing must conclude within 12 weeks of filing and cannot exceed five consecutive days
- Sanctions will be addressed in a separate, confidential hearing — meaning punishment and appeal run on different tracks
For anyone with City-related bets or futures — titles, top-four finishes, anything — the uncertainty around points deductions makes those markets genuinely unstable right now. The commission hasn't ruled on punishment yet, and the appeal timeline means this drags into next season.
Pochettino put it plainly: "Whatever the punishment ends up being... it's impossible to go back. I think a lot of damage has been done." Nine titles, four league championships, a Champions League — all built across the period under scrutiny. Whether any of that gets formally tainted depends on what comes next. And what comes next is going to take months.
