Premier League Shows Little Appetite to Strip Man City Titles — SkimNews
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- Premier League clubs and the organization itself show little appetite to strip Manchester City of eight titles won between 2009-2018, though an independent panel not yet holding its "sanction hearing" retains the power to do so.
- Premier League rules allow a disciplinary commission to impose a penalty "as it shall think fit," which theoretically could include retrospective points deductions or title stripping — though points deductions, huge fines, or expulsion are considered more likely outcomes.
- Manchester City were found guilty on the majority of 115 charges alleging inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and "off the books" payments to circumvent financial rules during the 2009-2018 period.
- Runners-up who could be elevated if titles were stripped include Manchester United (2011-12 and 2017-18 Premier League), Liverpool (2013-14), Stoke City (2010-11 FA Cup), Sunderland (2013-14 EFL Cup), Arsenal (2017-18 EFL Cup), and Chelsea (2012-13 Community Shield).
- Chelsea's 2010s trophies face similar scrutiny after the club was found to have made secret payments to agents between 2011 and 2018, raising consistency questions if retrospective action is applied to City.
- Rodri dismissed stripping talk, saying "What we did, they cannot take out of us," while a lawyer told BBC Sport that compensation claims from rival clubs for lost earnings are more probable than title reallocation.
Why it matters: BBC Sport's reporting signals title stripping — the most dramatic outcome for rival fans — is the least likely sanction, with compensation claims from affected clubs positioned as the more probable route. One lawyer quoted warned the line of potential litigants (clubs, players, staff, agents) could be "endless and potentially so destructive to the whole ecosystem," meaning the verdict's financial fallout may outlast any sporting punishment.
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