Manchester City accused
According to news that first surfaced Monday morning, reigning English Premier League (EPL) champion Manchester City has been charged with over 100 breaches of financial regulations.
has not befallen such a prominent team in nearly two decades
If convicted, the Citizens could face serious punishment, including a points deduction, stripping of past titles, or even removal from the EPL. The situation is not unprecedented but has not befallen such a prominent team in nearly two decades.
No team in world soccer reported higher revenue than Man City last season. Given the magnitude of the news, VegasSlotsOnline News has dug into the history books to try to find out what punishment could await the Manchester club.??
The charges
The EPL has released a statement confirming the charges against Man City. Sky Sports News shared the full story to its Twitter page:
The statement confirmed breaches in Financial Fair Play rules from the 2008-09 to 2017-18 seasons, following a four-year investigation into the matter. “In accordance with Premier League Rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today referred a number of alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules by Manchester City Football Club to a Commission under Premier League Rule W.3.4,” the EPL statement read.
Man City has been one of the biggest spenders in world soccer since transitioning to new ownership in 2008. It has signed many of the best players and managers in the world, acquired satellite clubs to feed its first team, redeveloped its stadium, and generally positioned itself at the forefront of innovation within the sport.
Juventus – Relegated
The last time a team with as much power as City was hit with similar charges came during the 2006 “Calciopoli” scandal, which involved Juventus and other top Italian sides.
illegally interfered with referee assignments to manipulate match results
An investigation found that Juventus managing director Luciano Maggi illegally interfered with referee assignments to manipulate match results. There was no doubt of Maggi’s guilt given the evidence, which included recorded phone conversations in which he conspired with referee organizations.
The team was ultimately relegated to Serie B for the first time in its history, while AC Milan, Lazio, and Fiorentina were hit with a variety of lesser punishments.
Eight of Juventus’ 11 regular starters featured in the FIFA World Cup final the same year the punishment was awarded. Many notable players, including Fabio Cannavarro, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Patrick Vieira, departed the club in the immediate aftermath.?
Leeds United – Deducted 25 points
City do not need to look too far from home to find another example of fallout from financial breaches. Just over an hour northeast, Leeds United was almost removed from the Football League entirely due to the club’s insolvency status in 2007.
The financial situation at Leeds was so bleak that it even sold its home stadium Elland Road, along with its training ground to help make payments. Ultimately, with relegation to League One already confirmed in the 2007/07 season, the club entered administration and took a 10-point deduction to drop it bottom of the table.
This wasn’t enough to appease league owners, however, who conducted an expulsion vote to decide if the club should be permitted to stay within the English soccer structure. They mercifully allowed Leeds to remain but handed it a 15-point deduction for the upcoming season in the third tier.
won its first seven games of the season and even made the playoffs
Shockingly, the club won its first seven games of the season and even made the playoffs as it staved off a third relegation in four seasons. Nevertheless, it was quite the fall-off for a team that just six years prior reached the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Derby County – Deducted 21 points
Derby County, another English side, was deducted points just a couple of seasons ago for similar financial issues. Points were removed in 12 and nine-point increments early in the 2021-22 season, meaning the team faced a negative total just a few months in.?
Derby was dealt the crippling blow after it entered administration over the summer following years of financial mismanagement from previous owner Mel Morris.?Morris later admitted to breaking the English Football League’s profitability and sustainability rules by selling Pride Park, the team’s home ground, to a company that he owned for ￡81m ($97.8m), only for the company to lease it right back to him.
Derby had barely escaped relegation from the Championship on the final matchday of the previous season, which effectively doomed them to relegation the next season following the deduction. They went on to finish the season second-from-bottom with just 34 points in 46 matches.
Rangers – Deducted 10 points and relegated
Scottish Premier League (SPL) side Rangers—the most successful Scottish team ever—was deducted 10 points in 2012 for more insolvency problems related to a ￡75m ($90.1m) tax bill.
Much like most of the other teams in our list, Rangers was ultimately forced into entering administration. Team chairman Craig Whyte confirmed that the club had been taking losses for “many months” before receiving the punishment.?
Rangers were almost expelled from the SPL afterward
Rival club Celtic went on to win the title with ease that season, amassing 93 points to Rangers’ 73 and ending a three-year run atop the table. Rangers was almost expelled from the SPL afterward, but later allowed to return to the third division with new owners.
Rangers made its way back to the top flight of Scottish Soccer in 2016 and has finished in the top-three every season since, winning one title in the 2020-21 campaign.