Manchester City’s 115 Charges: What will happen to the perennial Premier League Champions?
In the biggest footballing scandal that England has ever seen, Manchester City were charged by the Premier League on 115 charges of breaking financial rules over a ten-year period.
The charges include inflating sponsorship deals to create a higher revenue rate in order to be able to spend more money on transfers. The club also hid certain costs, including on player wages to comply with financial rules in a scam that saw City accelerate their growth and race to the top of the Premier League.
The Cityzens have appealed the charges, but with the number of rules the league state they have broken, it looks like they will come down hard on the club, offering a number of intense punishments, with almost all meaning Manchester City will not play their football in the Premier League next season.
Relegation – 7/4
Manchester City are now among the favourites to be relegated from the Premier League this season.
A huge points deduction is expected to be on its way to the club, one so big that would it basically equal almost certain relegation. It would see City at least playing in the Championship next season, if not lower down the footballing pyramid.
The title winners of two years ago could very well be playing in League Two in the not-too-distant future.
Erling Haaland to leave Manchester City before next season – 2/1
With relegation, it would mean new financial rules for Manchester City, alongside the fact a number of players would not want to play for the club in the Championship.
City’s top scorer, and most expensive asset, Erling Haaland, will likely be first out of the door.
The striker is one of the world’s best and will have no interest in playing in England’s second division. Not to mention that his wages simply won’t be payable in the Championship, certainly not is City have to play by the rules.
Real Madrid, PSG and Barcelona will already be on high alert.
Manchester City to be stripped of Premier League titles – 4/1
Whilst relegation seems like a certainty for Manchester City, things could get worse for the team in Sky Blue.
With the charges covering the period of 2009 to 2018, the Cityzens could be stripped of their Premier League titles that occurred in that time. City won four league titles in that time, and all could be gone if the governing body decides so.
Manchester City to play in League One next season – 33/1
In one of the many worst-case scenarios, it might not just be a points deduction and stripped titles for Manchester City.
Should the Premier League and the EFL decide to work together to punish the club, City could find themselves with another sanction that will see them not relegated once, but twice.
A longshot for those pressing charges, but with the seriousness of the crimes, anything is possible.
