A football finance expert has given his verdict on how many points Manchester City could potentially be deducted if they were to be found guilty of alleged Premier League financial rule breaches – something the club strongly deny.
A hearing took place in front of an independent commission between September and December 2024. The allegations date back to 2009.
It is still not confirmed when a decision will be reached or made public, but if City are found guilty, the commission has “unlimited powers”, which includes a potential points deduction or relegation, according to BBC Sport.
The club were initially “surprised” by the allegations and claimed they are supported by a “body of irrefutable evidence”.
“Manchester City 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,” read a club statement released in February 2023.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said the verdict could be reached in “one month” when speaking in a press conference ahead of his side’s 2-1 win in the fourth round of the FA Cup against Leyton Orient on Saturday, 8 February.
“In one month, I think there will be a verdict and a sentence,” said Guardiola.
“After that, we will see my opinion of what happened so far.”
Now, a football finance expert has given his take.
The Premier League champions were initially accused of 115 alleged breaches of Premier League rules.
Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour (Credit:Getty)
However, it has been reported by The Times that the real number may actually be as high as 130 due to confusion over the Premier League’s breakdown of the charges.
“The number 115 has now become part of folklore, which is rather bizarre because A: there are 130 charges,” said Maguire when speaking on Tear Us Apart.
“And B: actually there’s only three.
“If guilty, the punishment is likely to be far harsher [than what Everton and Nottingham Forest got].”
“So, it has to be a points deduction – if found guilty,” he added. “For non-cooperation, a fine would probably be appropriate …I think we are looking at a points deduction… somewhere in the region of 60 to 100 points.”
