The Premier League will be able to recommend the punishment it believes Man City should receive when the club’s financial case reaches its sanctions hearing.
City will have the opportunity to respond with mitigating evidence before the independent Commission decides what punishment should be imposed. Reports suggest that hearing could take place in the coming weeks.
Premier League can recommend Man City punishment
The distinction between prosecutor and decision-maker is important.
The Premier League brought the charges against City and, as reported by the Manchester Evening News, will be able to make submissions on the sanctions it believes should follow.
City’s lawyers can then submit mitigation and argue for a different outcome.
The final decision doesn’t belong to the Premier League. That remains with the independent Commission, which has a wide range of sanctions available and isn’t bound by the punishment requested by the league. There is currently no fixed sanctions grid for breaches of this kind.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has meanwhile reiterated the club’s determination to clear its name, saying: “Our confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began.”
Everton case shows Premier League recommendation isn’t binding
Everton’s first Profitability and Sustainability Rules case provides a useful example of how the process can work, although the circumstances were very different from City’s case.
The Premier League argued for a 12-point deduction after Everton admitted breaching PSR. The independent Commission instead imposed 10 points, before an Appeal Board subsequently reduced the punishment to six.
It doesn’t provide any indication of what sanction City might ultimately receive. It does show that the Premier League can argue for a particular punishment without the independent body being required to impose it.
City’s case is also vastly broader than Everton’s PSR breach, meaning direct comparisons between potential punishments would be misleading. Our analysis of the Manchester City charges era looks in greater detail at the issues surrounding the case.
What happens next in the Man City case?
City’s original hearing ran for 12 weeks between September and December 2024. Reports last week claimed the independent Commission had found the club guilty of the vast majority of the charges. The detailed judgment has not been published, while City have stressed that the process remains ongoing and subject to confidentiality.
Sky Sports News understands that the case is moving towards an appeal. Both City and the Premier League have the right to challenge a Commission decision, with an appeal heard by a three-member Appeal Board. A separate hearing is expected to deal with sanctions, with the Premier League making its case for punishment and City able to put forward mitigation.
There is no predetermined outcome. Available sanctions include fines, points deductions and other sporting penalties, while the Commission has broad discretion over what it ultimately decides.
Rival clubs are following developments closely, with some seeking legal advice over possible compensation. Our report on potential claims from other clubs covers that separate issue.
The next significant development should therefore provide greater clarity on punishment. The Premier League can recommend what it believes City should receive and the club can argue in mitigation, but the sanction itself remains a decision for the independent process.
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