Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League charges against them. The Athletic broke the news on 25 September, and the BBC and others followed. One big question is still open, though: the Man City punishment. Nobody knows what it will be or when it will come. Let’s break down what we know and why it matters.

What City Were Found Guilty Of

The Premier League charged City in February 2023. The case covers the club’s first nine seasons under Abu Dhabi ownership, from 2009 to 2018.

The charges fall into two groups. About 80 relate to financial rules. They cover false financial information, hidden payments to players and managers, and breaches of UEFA and Premier League spending rules. The other 35 relate to a failure to cooperate with the investigation.

A panel of three heard the case in private from September to December 2024. The verdict took almost two years. The league has made no official statement yet, because strict confidentiality rules cover the process.

When Will the Man City Punishment Arrive?

Not soon. According to the Associated Press, the same commission will set the sanction at a separate hearing. The timing depends on City’s appeal.

City have 14 days to appeal. A new panel of three will then hear the case. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak told fans the process “still has a long way to run.”

Even that may not be the end. Sky Sports reports that City could go to the High Court in London if they think the process was unfair.

What the Rulebook Allows

Rule W64 gives the commission a wide range of options. It can fine a club, deduct points, or expel it from the league. The rules also let the panel make any other order it sees fit. In theory, that leaves room to strip titles.

The closest guide is Everton. The club got a 10 point deduction in 2023, later cut to six, for overspending in one period. Nottingham Forest lost four points for a similar breach.

Here’s the thing. City’s case covers nine seasons, not one. It also includes a refusal to cooperate, which Everton’s case did not. So those numbers are a rough guide at best for any Man City punishment.

Why This Season Matters

City top the table with 15 points from five straight wins. They built that start on a huge summer. ESPN reports that the club learned of the verdict in July, then spent more than £450m on seven senior signings. That includes Enzo Fernández for £125m and Elliot Anderson for £116m. ESPN’s sources say City agreed the Anderson deal before they knew the verdict.

What this really means is simple. City play on, but every point now carries a question mark. Arsenal, who finally trusted the process to win the title last season, sit three points behind.

The Bigger Fallout

The damage may not stop at the Man City punishment itself. The Athletic reports that other Premier League clubs plan legal action to claim compensation for sporting and sponsorship losses.

There is a precedent. This year, a commission ordered Everton to pay Burnley more than £35m. Burnley argued they would have stayed up in 2021/22 if Everton had received their deduction on time.

City have won this kind of fight before. In 2020, UEFA banned them from Europe for two years. The Court of Arbitration for Sport lifted the ban and fined City €10m instead. The difference now is scale. An independent panel ruled against them on almost every charge.

What to Take From This

City’s era under Pep Guardiola produced some of the best football England has seen. We broke down that tactical approach at its peak. That legacy is now on trial off the pitch.

Keep three things in mind:

1. Guilty is not final. The appeal comes first.
2. The sanction comes last. The same commission decides it at a separate hearing.
3. Past cases don’t set a limit. English football has never seen a case this size.

The verdict is in. The Man City punishment is still to come, and it could reshape the Premier League for years.