Senior Premier League executives warn City expulsion would be 'commercial suicide' for rival clubs

Manchester City face an uncertain future after the Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that the club had been found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of its financial regulations between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons. Among the violations, City were found to have artificially inflated revenue by more than £900 million through what the commission described as ‘sham’ sponsorship deals.

City have denied any wrongdoing and intend to appeal by the end of this week. The club say they are “innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League” and claim to hold “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to support their position.

While punishment has yet to be determined, the range of sanctions under discussion is wide. Relegation, points deductions, transfer bans, and heavy fines have all been floated, with some calling for the harshest possible sporting penalty against the eight-time Premier League champions. Expulsion from the top flight remains one option the independent commission could consider — but it may be one that rival clubs are reluctant to pursue.

According to reports, two senior executives at different Premier League clubs have said they would be “staggered” and “amazed” if 15 clubs were prepared to vote to remove City from the league. One unnamed executive described such a move as a potential “self-inflicted commercial disaster”, warning that City’s absence would cost rival clubs a significant amount of revenue each season.

“If Man City were expelled, that would have massive commercial consequences for everyone in the league, and ultimately it would cost the other clubs an awful lot of money,” the executive said.

City are considered by many within the league to be a central part of its commercial appeal, both domestically and globally. Removing them, the argument goes, would diminish the product that clubs sell to broadcasters and sponsors alike.

However, a counter-view is also circulating among some top clubs. Several believe that allowing City to remain in the Premier League — given the scale of the findings against them — would damage the competition’s integrity and long-term brand value. For those clubs, an extended period outside the top flight may be the only credible response.

Discussions between and within the boardrooms of rival clubs are ongoing, with a number of them also exploring their own legal positions regarding a potential financial claim against City in light of the verdict.