Man City points deduction likely outcome for 115 charges verdict
Manchester City are likely to face a significant points deduction rather than expulsion if found guilty of the 115 financial charges brought against them, according to a leading football finance expert.
Verdict delays explained
The Premier League champions have been waiting for a resolution since their 12-week tribunal concluded in December 2024.
Despite the long wait, a verdict has yet to be made public, fuelling speculation regarding the timeline of the process.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has attributed this delay to the unprecedented volume of evidence required for the defence.
The case covers allegations spanning from 2009 to 2018, requiring a level of scrutiny far exceeding recent proceedings against other top-flight clubs.
“If there are 115 charges against Man City, then Man City must put 115 defences, so that’s going to involve hundreds and thousands of pieces of evidence.”
Maguire noted that comparatively narrower cases against Nottingham Forest and Everton still involved tens of thousands of documents.
Allegations of fraud
The severity of the accusations against the Etihad club sets this case apart from recent financial sustainability breaches.
While other clubs faced sanctions for overspending, the charges against the treble winners involve the alleged disguising of owner equity as sponsorship income.
Maguire describes this as effectively an “allegation of fraud,” noting the Premier League must possess overwhelming evidence to pursue such significant claims.
Punishment speculation
The conversation around potential sanctions has intensified following Leicester City’s six-point deduction in February 2026.
The Foxes were punished for breaching financial rules, though they argued the sanction was disproportionate given their mitigating factors.
With the precedent set by recent deductions, experts suggest a similar, albeit much heavier, sporting sanction is the probable outcome for the Manchester club.
A points deduction would penalise the team’s league standing without removing a commercially vital asset from the division entirely.