The verdict has been delivered: Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of 115 financial fair play charges spanning from 2009 to 2018. The punishment—if enforced—could strip the club of the three Premier League titles they won during that period, reshaping the history books of English football. While the Premier League has yet to confirm the exact sanctions, the implications are stark: Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United could all stand to gain trophies they never won, with United potentially edging ahead of Liverpool in the all-time standings.
The most immediate beneficiary would be Manchester United. The club’s 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons finished as runners-up to City, meaning they would inherit both titles if the sanctions are enforced. That would push United’s total Premier League crowns to 22—surpassing Liverpool’s 21 and cementing Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy as England’s most successful manager. Even more ironically, United’s 2017–18 campaign, under José Mourinho, ended 19 points behind City’s eventual champions, making the retroactive title a bitter-sweet consolation. Liverpool, meanwhile, would inherit the 2018–19 title, though Jürgen Klopp has dismissed the possibility, insisting his focus remains on the present. ‘I’m absolutely fine with what we’ve achieved,’ he said, though his club’s near-misses in 2013–14, 2018–19, and 2021–22—all lost by a combined four points—would be erased from the record books.
The process is far from over. City’s chief executive, Ferran Soriano, has indicated the appeals process will take ‘much more time,’ and the club has already denied the allegations. The Premier League’s decision to find City guilty follows a three-year investigation, with the final ruling expected to be challenged. Even if sanctions are confirmed, the titles may not be automatically reassigned—though the precedent of past retroactive decisions (such as Liverpool’s 1965 title being reinstated after a points deduction was overturned) suggests a redistribution is likely. The uncertainty extends beyond trophies: City’s current campaign, now just 14 games from the end of the season, remains precarious. They trail Arsenal by six points, and their struggles to convert half-time leads—five this season alone—highlight the fragility of their title hopes. If the club is stripped of past honours, the psychological toll could extend into the present, complicating their pursuit of a sixth consecutive Premier League title.
The broader implications stretch beyond trophies. A retroactive loss would force a reckoning with City’s financial dominance under Pep Guardiola, who won five consecutive Premier League titles between 2019 and 2024. The club’s ability to sustain such success while navigating legal and financial scrutiny remains untested. Meanwhile, rivals like Arsenal and Liverpool—who have spent years chasing City’s shadow—would suddenly find their near-misses immortalized as victories. For Manchester United, the irony is biting: their 2017–18 season, one of their most competitive under Ferguson’s successor, would be rewritten as a championship. The case now hinges on the appeals process, but one thing is certain: the Premier League’s history would never be the same.
