England’s football tribunal threatens Manchester City with relegation after historic points deduction

Two starkly different futures hang over Manchester City as English authorities prepare a historic sanction that could see the Premier League giants drop to the Championship., citing journalist Oliver Holt, says the punishment will be an immediate points deduction that guarantees relegation, while the club continues to deny any wrongdoing. Oliver Holt, head of sport at, the penalty will include a substantial fine and a points deduction sufficient to relegate the Sky Blue side for at least two seasons. The tribunal is said to prefer this option over expulsion from the league, which would “alter the development of the current Premier League season”.

The club has already been found guilty of 114 financial infringements covering the period from 2009 to 2018, a case that began formally in 2023 and has now reached its first decisive stage.

Club’s response and wider implications

Manchester City maintain that they possess “irrefutable evidence” to overturn the decision and have appealed the ruling, though insiders suggest the appeal may not be decided before the end of January. Despite the looming sanction, City remain top of the league, having won all seven of their fixtures so far this season.

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The potential relegation would reshape the title race, giving clubs such as Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and Liverpool a clearer path to the crown. Meanwhile, the Arab investment fund that acquired the club is reportedly seeking an exit, wary of the regulatory fallout.

City’s focus this week remains on their Champions League tie against AEK Athens in Greece, scheduled for Tuesday night, as they await the final verdict from the Premier League’s disciplinary panel.