{"id":2165750,"date":"2026-09-26T13:26:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T10:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2165750"},"modified":"2026-09-26T13:26:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T10:26:40","slug":"manchester-city-charges-could-club-be-stripped-of-eight-trophies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2165750","title":{"rendered":"Manchester City charges: Could club be stripped of eight trophies?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/branded_sport\/1200\/cpsprodpb\/6652\/live\/4dfdf9a0-b96d-11f1-88b4-a9b939c8ba34.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"ssrcss-2fe4mx-ArticleWrapper e1nh2i2l0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div data-block=\"headline\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<header data-testid=\"headline\">\n<h1 id=\"main-heading\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"ssrcss-8zqj65-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">No Premier League appetite to strip Man City of titles &#8211; but threat remains<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1niicgc-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/6652\/live\/4dfdf9a0-b96d-11f1-88b4-a9b939c8ba34.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/6652\/live\/4dfdf9a0-b96d-11f1-88b4-a9b939c8ba34.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/6652\/live\/4dfdf9a0-b96d-11f1-88b4-a9b939c8ba34.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/6652\/live\/4dfdf9a0-b96d-11f1-88b4-a9b939c8ba34.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/6652\/live\/4dfdf9a0-b96d-11f1-88b4-a9b939c8ba34.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/6652\/live\/4dfdf9a0-b96d-11f1-88b4-a9b939c8ba34.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Manchester City won the Premier League title three times in the period covered by the investigation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"byline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"single-byline\" class=\"ssrcss-sevsa1-ContributorContainer ee66fvo3\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dt4z-ContributorInfo ee66fvo0\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">By<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-nsjd43-TextContributorName epw3ir01\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1q14p6q-LinkWithChevronContainer epw3ir02\"><span class=\"byline-link-text\">Dan Roan<\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dqo7s5-ContributorDetails ee66fvo2\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1m5444d-Text ee66fvo4\">Sports editor<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"metadata\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"metadata\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2026-09-26T13:26:40.607Z\">26 September 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">It is one of the biggest talking points from the <\/b><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Manchester City<\/b><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\"> case. <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Should City be stripped of the eight trophies they won between 2009 and 2018, the period in which they were accused of breaking Premier League financial rules?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Judging by social media, many fans of rival clubs are now hoping for such an outcome. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">However BBC Sport has been told there has been little appetite from within the Premier League &#8211; both the organisation and clubs &#8211; for past titles to be stripped from City<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Does that put an end to it?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Not quite, as the decision will be made by an independent panel which is yet to hold a &#8220;sanction hearing&#8221;. That means it cannot be ruled out, although a points deduction, huge fine or possibly even expulsion from the Premier League are thought to be more likely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Here, BBC Sport analyses this difficult issue and decision the panel is now facing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"links\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-94r6ik-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Man City and the 115 charges &#8211; key questions answered<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">1 day ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Man City fans face up to reality of guilty verdict<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">1 day ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Relegation? Titles stripped? Appeals? What next for Man City<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">1 day ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Manchester City vs The Premier League<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I think we still have a chance to win that league\u2026 and then they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It was almost two years ago that Jose Mourinho mischievously raised the possibility that his former club Manchester United could be handed the 2018 Premier League title held by Manchester City.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Under Mourinho, United finished second to City by 19 points in 2018, his final full campaign in charge at Old Trafford.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">City have always denied wrongdoing. But now we know they have been found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges, was Mourinho right? <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Premier League rules do not directly make reference to such a sanction, with a fine, points deduction or expulsion listed as possible punishments. However, they also allow for a disciplinary commission panel to impose a penalty &#8220;as it shall think fit&#8221;. That theoretically could include retrospectively-applied points deductions, or the stripping of titles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Many will argue that if upheld after any appeal, the nature and scale of the wrongdoing City have been found guilty of warrants such as sanction on the basis that titles were won unfairly, and any misrepresentation of revenue and costs gave them a crucial competitive advantage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">City were accused of a wide range of rule breaches, centred around claims that they inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and made other &#8220;off the books&#8221; payments to circumvent football&#8217;s financial rules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">So with a cloud hanging over the trophy-laden era City have enjoyed since the takeover of the club by Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Mansour in 2008, could asterisks now be applied to the titles City won during the period in which they have been found to have broken the rules?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Could they be left blank? Or, as implied by Mourinho, reallocated to those teams who finished runners-up to City?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Those clubs are: <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Premier League<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">2011-12: Manchester United<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">2013-14: Liverpool<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">2017-18: Manchester United<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">FA Cup<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">2010-11: Stoke City<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">EFL Cup<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">2013-14: Sunderland<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">2015-16: Liverpool<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">2017-18: Arsenal<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Community Shield<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">2012-13 Chelsea<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Such a move would threaten to open the proverbial can of worms, raising questions over other accomplishments. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">For instance, there is now scepticism towards the various trophies Chelsea won in the 2010s, after the club were found to have made a catalogue of secret payments to agents over transfers, between 2011 and 2018. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Some will ask that if retrospective action is applied to City, should the same not happen to Chelsea?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"media\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1w8ucfj-PortraitVideoWrapper e1pbfhqo0\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\">\n<div data-chromatic=\"ignore\" class=\"ssrcss-dtyrnv-MediaPlayerWrapper e1h75hkw2\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1553su4-ErrorMessage eitf6465\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-h7lv7m-StyledInnerContainer eitf6464\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nbxsk2-TextContent eitf6461\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This video can not be played<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Figure caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">What do Man City charges mean and what happens next?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It is impossible to know exactly to what extent City benefited on the field from their rule breaches. And which players they may not have been able to afford if they had adhered to the regulations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And what about the period between December 2018 and February 2023, when City stand accused of a failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations? <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Should retrospective action be applied then too? Jurgen Klopp&#8217;s Liverpool finished runners-up to Pep Guardiola&#8217;s City twice during that time, by a single point in both 2019 and 2022. Last year, the German coach joked he would host a party in his garden if his former club were suddenly awarded those titles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Some will conclude that the rule breaches between 2009 and 2018 helped City to lay the foundations on which Guardiola built on to achieve so much success, culminating in the Treble triumph of 2023. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Does that era come into scope? Where does it end?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">For some, the mass reallocation of titles over such a long period would risk making a mockery of Premier League history, jeopardising its reputation and commercial viability. Others would argue that some 17 years after the first alleged breach, and with City accused of distorting the competition over multiple seasons, serious damage has already been done to the league&#8217;s standing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And while there is no Premier League precedent, such concerns have not prevented such punishments being applied before in football. Juventus had the Serie A titles they won in 2005 and 2006 revoked as a result of the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal &#8211; when five Italians teams were penalised for attempting to influence results by picking certain referees. The first title was left blank by authorities, with the second reallocated to Inter Milan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">There is also a British precedent. Elgin City won the 1992-93 Highland League, but were later stripped of the title after having been found to have fielded ineligible players.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">There are examples in other sports too. In 2012, Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles by the UCI, cycling&#8217;s governing body, for doping. And the reallocation of medals has become commonplace in athletics as a result of positive drugs tests that can emerge long after events have taken place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In cases such as City&#8217;s, involving financial rule breaches, the argument for such a punishment is more complicated. Many will see it as unfair that players and fans unconnected to any rule breaches should suffer by losing titles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And with some suggesting that relations between the United Arab Emirates and the UK could be put under serious pressure by this ruling, one can only imagine the diplomatic tensions if past titles were then taken away from the club. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">On Friday, former City midfielder Rodri dismissed talk of the club being stripped of some of the titles they won.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;What we did, they cannot take out of us,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;It&#8217;s something that is not paid by money. It&#8217;s paid with effort, with the damage, with, you know, being shoulder to shoulder every day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I can tell you that everything was deserved, and I&#8217;m glad that I could live one of the best eras of English football in here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Others, however, will insist the rewriting of the competition&#8217;s official record is the only way of restoring justice for those clubs that competed within the rules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In terms of retrospective action, the compensation claims for lost earnings that several clubs are known to be considering launching against City are more likely than the stripping of titles. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The ramifications could be significant. One lawyer told me, &#8220;The question isn&#8217;t whether the clubs can take legal action&#8230; it&#8217;s where does the line of people who have a case actually end?<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;The clubs who didn&#8217;t win\/qualify\/stay up; the players who didn&#8217;t get bonuses, contract extensions; the staff who missed out on bonuses; the agents who didn&#8217;t get their uplift on their player deals&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;It&#8217;s endless and potentially so destructive to the whole ecosystem.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Whatever happens, more division and disruption seems guaranteed. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"media\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1w8ucfj-PortraitVideoWrapper e1pbfhqo0\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\">\n<div data-chromatic=\"ignore\" class=\"ssrcss-dtyrnv-MediaPlayerWrapper e1h75hkw2\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1553su4-ErrorMessage eitf6465\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-h7lv7m-StyledInnerContainer eitf6464\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nbxsk2-TextContent eitf6461\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This video can not be played<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Figure caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8216;I don&#8217;t really know how to feel&#8217; &#8211; Man City fan on charges<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"eventPromo\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-yapki9-EventInformationContainer e646wox6\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1lkl5gx-EventTitleContainer e646wox5\"><strong>Follow Manchester City on BBC Sounds<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vf62z0-EventDetailsContainer e646wox4\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Pre-match, post-match and topical City content<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-e4s26j-CallToActionContainer e646wox3\"><span class=\"call-to-action-link-text-wrapper\">Listen on Sounds<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1l9dnxb-CoverageTextContainer e646wox2\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Subscribe and listen for everything you love about City<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"topicList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"topic-list\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nj9heb-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pfbb52-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-w8zanw-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li>Football<\/li>\n<li>Premier League<\/li>\n<li>Manchester City<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"promoList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">More on this story<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"ssrcss-1ughxsy-List e880cno1\">\n<li>\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-ccqz3i-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1u1fh10-PromoSwitchLayoutAtBreakpoints et5qctl0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-wg79iw-PromoContent exn3ah912\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-6bmydz-PromoHeadline exn3ah99\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Man City legal fight could spiral out of control &#8211; Purslow<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">14 hours ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-z60stg-PromoImageContainer en81kx34\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17h6w1t-PromoImageContainerInner en81kx32\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-fec6qv-ImageWrapper en81kx33\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/a40b\/live\/109bcc60-b989-11f1-95e0-25bb5db6a7af.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/a40b\/live\/109bcc60-b989-11f1-95e0-25bb5db6a7af.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/a40b\/live\/109bcc60-b989-11f1-95e0-25bb5db6a7af.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/a40b\/live\/109bcc60-b989-11f1-95e0-25bb5db6a7af.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/a40b\/live\/109bcc60-b989-11f1-95e0-25bb5db6a7af.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/a40b\/live\/109bcc60-b989-11f1-95e0-25bb5db6a7af.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-ccqz3i-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1u1fh10-PromoSwitchLayoutAtBreakpoints et5qctl0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-wg79iw-PromoContent exn3ah912\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-6bmydz-PromoHeadline exn3ah99\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">The computer hacker who tried to take down Man City<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">23 hours ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-z60stg-PromoImageContainer en81kx34\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17h6w1t-PromoImageContainerInner en81kx32\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-fec6qv-ImageWrapper en81kx33\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/35d3\/live\/b39074f0-f4ed-11ef-896e-d7e7fb1719a4.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/35d3\/live\/b39074f0-f4ed-11ef-896e-d7e7fb1719a4.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/35d3\/live\/b39074f0-f4ed-11ef-896e-d7e7fb1719a4.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/35d3\/live\/b39074f0-f4ed-11ef-896e-d7e7fb1719a4.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/35d3\/live\/b39074f0-f4ed-11ef-896e-d7e7fb1719a4.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/35d3\/live\/b39074f0-f4ed-11ef-896e-d7e7fb1719a4.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport\/football\/articles\/cxyvzzj17682o&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/branded_sport\/1200\/cpsprodpb\/6652\/live\/4dfdf9a0-b96d-11f1-88b4-a9b939c8ba34.jpg&#8221;] No Premier League appetite to strip Man City of titles &#8211; but threat remains Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Manchester City won the Premier League title three times in the period covered by the investigation By Dan Roan Sports editor Published 26 September 2026 It is one of the biggest talking points [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[35,226],"class_list":["post-2165750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-bbc-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2165750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2165750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2165750\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2165750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2165750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2165750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}