Premier clubs aim to shake off the 'Man City' team for at least a few seasons.

2026-10-01 14:04 © scanpix

Premier League clubs are seeking a significantly harsher penalty for Manchester City than relegation to a lower league for one season.

An independent commission found the Manchester club guilty of a "masked financing scheme” which allegedly allowed them to artificially inflate their revenues by £900 million between 2009 and 2018.

Relegation to the Championship for one season would be an inadequate punishment.

The commission must impose a sanction proportional to many years of intentional rule violations, and send a clear signal that this must not happen again in the future,” a source from one club told The Guardian.

The penalty hearing is expected to take place after reviewing Manchester City's appeal.

A decision is expected by the end of January, although the process could be prolonged if the club decides to contest the Premier League's established expedited procedure timeline.

Manchester United, London’s Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool also retained the right to seek compensation from Manchester City for potential losses.

The case of Burnley is cited as a precedent – this club was awarded £35 million in compensation for financial rule violations committed by Everton.