26 Sep 2026 07:35:27
I've seen a few reporting that they can go to CAS for this and the appeal grounds will be weak, so it might not be a long and drawn out appeals process. That's good news for English football, all of which has been scared by this.
As a Chelsea fan, supporting a club who, to a lesser degree, has cooked the books in the past, I'm not sure I'm in the best position to point fingers and demand retribution. But, we owned up to it all immediately and were open and honest from the outset (at least, the new ownership did/were). Man City have denied and dodged this for years, that and the pure number of offences means the punishment has to be severe.
For me, that punishment has to mean expulsion from the Premier League, I'm not sure how the Football League would need to deal with the situation, but I think there's a fair argument that City should have to start from League 2. In reality I think it'll be a points deduction the effectively means relegation to the Championship, it's the least messy in lots of ways.
The removal of titles feels like a fair punishment, maybe it did for us too, but that's a messy operation. One thing that's not in doubt, all those titles, all those years under Pep are tainted and have a huge asterisk next to them.
City fans are up against the ropes on this one, some will come out punching, but they're victims in this too, the club has lied to them too - they've been massively let down.
26 Sep 2026 07:44:13
Sorry, should read can't go to CAS.
26 Sep 2026 09:11:42
J, I am a believer in "do the crime be prepared to do the time."
We have been found guilty and punished. If I'm honest, I think we got off lightly and probably deserved a points deduction. Self reporting and being fully cooperative probably saved our bacon.
Well done the owners.
Obviously City will appeal any penalty imposed but I would like to think that the regulator can also appeal if he thinks the penalty is too light? Or maybe, increase the penalty if they believe any appeal to be frivolous?
26 Sep 2026 12:04:01
Will hope so too Tom and that no bulging brown envelopes full of Emirati cash find their way to. members of the new three person independent tribunal who will hear the appeal!
Do hope that the next phase can be completed far more rapidly than the first two - ie investigation and then the three year hearing just concluded - for EPL sake in general and indeed J even the sake of City fans.