Lineker warns stripped titles 'wouldn't surprise' him as Man City appeal begins

Gary Lineker has said he would not be surprised if Manchester City are stripped of their Premier League titles, after the club were found guilty of breaching 114 financial rules by an independent panel. City are appealing the verdict, but the process for a separate punishment hearing has already begun.

Speaking at Leaders Week London 2026 at Stamford Bridge, the former England striker said the situation “looks really bad” for City and called on the club to accept whatever sanction follows. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes down the route of titles being stripped,” Lineker said. “Ultimately, who suffers from that? Players and fans. It’s going to be one of those punishments, and it has to be, obviously, severe, because we are talking about a lot of offences.”

Lineker also urged City to take a more conciliatory approach. “I’d love to see City now just own it and just say, ‘OK, we got it wrong but for the good of the game, we’ll accept it, accept whatever punishment comes our way and we’ll carry on,’” he said. “That would be a blessing and they could save their face a little bit. At the moment that doesn’t look very likely.”

The titles in question span the nine-year period from 2009 to 2018, during which the panel found City to be in breach of financial rules. While the stripping of titles has been widely discussed by rival supporters, it has generally been considered an unlikely outcome by analysts. A significant fine, transfer embargo, points deduction, or Premier League expulsion are among the other potential sanctions.

Lineker drew on personal experience to underline the human cost of institutional punishments in football. “I remember when English clubs were banned from Europe, and it cost me playing in the European Cup for Everton,” he said. “Players will suffer from this.”

City previously overturned a Champions League ban imposed by UEFA and will be hoping to replicate that outcome through their Premier League appeal. It has been reported that the club learned of the panel’s verdict over the summer — before going on to spend approximately £400 million in the transfer market.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester United, all of whom reserved the legal right to seek compensation, were among the first clubs informed of the decision. City are scheduled to face Liverpool in the Premier League this Sunday.