The Times: Man City deserves severe punishment, but not expulsion from the league

Martin Samuel, a journalist for The Times, wrote an article outlining his proposed punishment for Manchester City: severe enough to be impactful, but not so harsh as to completely destroy the club.

Samuel stated: "Manchester City's executives have done wrong, but this does not mean Manchester City should cease to exist. Why should the fans who support the team be left with nothing?"

Samuel believes that if a punishment removes corrupt club executives but simultaneously destroys the entire Manchester City club, it would be inappropriate. Beyond the harm to fans, Samuel also pointed out that in recent years, many clubs (including Chelsea, AC Milan, Nottingham Forest, and Everton) have sold players to Manchester City, with transfer fees paid in installments. Therefore, these clubs need Manchester City to survive to receive those remaining payments. Additionally, there are legal implications: clubs, sponsors, individuals, and even rival teams that have already been relegated from the Premier League could demand compensation. Reportedly, Manchester City's own players might directly tear up their contracts and leave. In that case, players like Haaland would receive no compensation. All expenses would be wasted, with no income.

Even if Manchester City's owners were willing to leave, who would take over a business potentially burdened with up to £1 billion in legal debt? A club cannot escape administration before repaying all football debts. In that scenario, the club would have no hope of success, joy, or future. If any new owner—such as a fans' trust—were to take over, it would certainly displease those seeking compensation. So what should the claimants do? Should they take on immense financial risk and seek compensation directly from Mansour personally? Any lawsuit would be against Manchester City, not Abu Dhabi. As a Premier League member, Manchester City's accounts are filed in the UK, and taxes are paid in the UK. While there might indeed be a possibility of personal claims if Manchester City's directors are disqualified, the claim amounts would be far less than the sums sought—only a fraction of the £100 million or more in compensation claims.

Samuel proposed a solution: a 30-point deduction annually for the next five years, along with fines and a ban from European competitions. This would not guarantee their relegation but would ensure the club could not continue to profit from its wrongdoings. If Manchester City were to be relegated during this period, the deduction would continue, and they would enter the next tier as one of the three relegated teams. For a violation of league rules, this would still be a significant punishment—totaling 150 points—but crucially, it would also allow the club to be sold or continue to repay debts, fulfill its obligations, maintain operations, and most importantly, face the consequences directly.

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