Man City Premier League titles: Stripping unlikely, risks remain

• The Premier League and clubs show little appetite to strip Manchester City of past titles.
• An independent panel will ultimately decide the sanctions during a future hearing.
• Jose Mourinho previously joked about claiming the 2018 title for Manchester United.
• Retrospective trophy stripping risks setting a complex precedent for English football.

One of the biggest talking points surrounding the Manchester City case centers on whether the club should be stripped of the eight trophies they won between 2009 and 2018. This timeframe covers the period when City were accused of breaking Premier League financial regulations, sparking hope among many rival fans on social media for retrospective punishments. However, BBC Sport has been informed that there is very little appetite from within the Premier League organization and its member clubs to strip City of their historical titles

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Despite this current sentiment, the final decision rests in the hands of an independent panel that has yet to hold a sanction hearing. Consequently, the possibility cannot be entirely ruled out, even though a points deduction, a massive fine, or expulsion from the league are widely considered more probable outcomes.

Almost two years ago, Jose Mourinho mischievously raised the possibility that his former club, Manchester United, could be awarded the 2018 Premier League title currently held by Manchester City. Under Mourinho, United finished second to City by 19 points in 2018 during his final full campaign at Old Trafford. Although Manchester City have consistently denied any wrongdoing, the recent confirmation that they were found guilty of the majority of 115 charges brings Mourinho's past remarks back into the spotlight.

"I think we still have a chance to win that league… and then they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal."

Jose Mourinho

Premier League rules do not directly specify title stripping as a sanction, listing fines, points deductions, or expulsion as standard punishments. Nevertheless, the rules allow a disciplinary commission panel to impose any penalty it deems fit, which theoretically could include retrospectively applied points deductions or the removal of titles. Many argue that if upheld on appeal, the scale of wrongdoing warrants such a punishment because those titles were won unfairly, giving City a crucial competitive advantage through the misrepresentation of revenue and costs.

Such a move threatens to open a metaphorical can of worms by raising questions over other major accomplishments. For instance, skepticism has grown around the various trophies Chelsea secured in the 2010s after the club was found to have made secret payments to agents between 2011 and 2018. Observers naturally question whether similar retrospective actions should apply if City face them. Furthermore, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp previously joked about hosting a garden party if his team were awarded the titles they lost to Pep Guardiola's side by a single point in 2019 and 2022.

While the Premier League lacks direct precedent for stripping titles, similar punishments have occurred elsewhere in European football. Juventus famously had their 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles revoked as a consequence of the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal, which penalized five Italian clubs for attempting to influence results. Whether English football will follow a similar path now rests entirely on the upcoming independent panel deliberations.

Source: BBC Sport