Man City's rule breaking cost Premier League teams
BBC Sport assesses the financial impact on 35 Premier League clubs between 2009 and 2018, totaling £844m due to Man City's charges.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Manchester City was found guilty of inflating sponsorship income and expenses.
- BBC Sport calculated total potential financial losses for 35 rival clubs at £844m.
- Tottenham Hotspur suffered a net financial loss estimated at £119.9m.
- The figures exclude player salary boosts, sponsor bonuses, and future success opportunities.
BBC Sport football news correspondents Dale Johnson, Dan Roan, Laura Scott, and Sami Mokbel have assessed the long-term landscape after Manchester City was found guilty of using sham contracts to build a squad capable of winning three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and three EFL Cups between 2009 and 2018. City continues to deny all wrongdoing and has appealed the verdict.
During this period, thirty-five other teams competed in the English top flight, and every single one could claim to have missed out financially. City was found guilty of inflating their sponsorship income by £830m, alongside another £90m in expenses, meaning stripping out these funds changes the entire complexion of the competition.
BBC Sport's calculations do not claim that any single team definitely would have avoided relegation or reached the Champions League. Instead, the analysis focuses on chance and the possibility that a very different Manchester City team would have taken to the pitch without the hundreds of millions pumped in by their Abu Dhabi owners since Sheikh Mansour bought the club in 2008.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The total impact on other clubs was calculated at £844m, which includes £217.8m in missed Champions League prize money and £88.3m related to domestic cup competitions and the Europa League. Meanwhile, Manchester City earned a total of £1.17bn across competitions during this timeframe, including £812.3m from Premier League prize money and broadcast revenues, plus £300,000 from three EFL Cup victories.
The Manchester City financial case stands as one of the most complex economic investigations in Premier League history. Assessing macroeconomic impacts illustrates how on-field success directly translates to brand value, market share, and global sponsorship revenue, demonstrating how financial advantages outside standard market frameworks create a domino effect across the football ecosystem.
"We have lived through a period of deception. No type of punishment will make it possible to repair what was done."
Mauricio Pochettino, former Tottenham Hotspur manager
A prime example is Tottenham Hotspur, who finished just outside the Champions League spots in four of the seasons City qualified. The 2014-15 campaign created the largest deficit when City finished second in the Premier League and received £71.2m for reaching the Champions League semi-finals the following year, while Spurs collected only £17.7m from the Europa League—a difference of £53.5m. Factoring in all competitions, Spurs suffered a net financial loss of £119.9m.
Source: BBC Sport
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