Man City 115 charges verdict latest as points deduction punishment explained

Manchester City are still living under a huge cloud of uncertainty as the football world waits for the final verdict on the Premier League’s long-running legal case against the club. The case, which has become known simply as the “115 charges”, has followed City everywhere for years, hanging over every trophy celebration, every big signing, every title race, and every debate between fans. Even now, after the independent hearing has finally ended, there is still no answer. No punishment has been announced. No guilt has been confirmed. No innocence has been officially declared. There is only waiting, and with waiting comes fear, speculation, anger, hope, and endless argument.

Manchester City were officially charged by the Premier League in February 2023 after a long investigation into the club’s finances covering a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018. During those years, City rose from a strong Premier League side into one of the most dominant football teams the world has ever seen. They won league titles, broke records, attracted elite players, and eventually became champions of Europe. But the Premier League alleges that behind this success, City broke financial rules again and again. While the number often quoted is 115 charges, many close to the case believe the real figure could be closer to 130 when every alleged breach is counted properly. That alone shows how big and complex this case really is.

City have always denied any wrongdoing. From the very first moment the charges were announced, the club made it clear they would fight them strongly. They insisted they have “irrefutable evidence” to prove their innocence and said they welcomed the case being heard by an independent commission rather than decided by public opinion or media pressure. In their own financial statements published in December, City once again repeated that position. They reminded everyone that the case is still under review and that no decision has yet been made. For City, this has always been about reputation as much as punishment. They believe their success has been earned, not bought through illegal means, and they want that officially confirmed.

However, the delay in reaching a verdict has frustrated many people across English football. Fans of rival clubs feel justice is taking too long. Some believe City are benefiting from the slow process, continuing to compete at the top while the case drags on. Others argue that such a huge and serious case cannot be rushed and that getting it right matters more than speed. This tension has only grown stronger as time passes, with every month of silence creating new rumours and new theories about what might happen in the end.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the case has always been punishment. If City are found guilty, what will actually happen to them. Some fans have imagined extreme outcomes, including relegation to League Two or even lower. Social media has been full of jokes, threats, and dramatic predictions. But football finance expert Kieran Maguire has tried to bring some realism into the discussion. According to him, automatic relegation deep into the football pyramid is extremely unlikely, no matter how serious the charges might be.

Maguire has explained that the Premier League does not have the power to send Manchester City wherever it wants. The Premier League and the English Football League are separate organisations with their own rules and constitutions. The Premier League cannot simply decide that City should play in League One, League Two, or the National League. What it can do is impose penalties within its own competition. That usually means fines or points deductions. If a points deduction is large enough, it could result in relegation, but only to the Championship. From there, the EFL would be required to accept City because the rules of the football pyramid demand it.

When people talk about how serious these charges are, Maguire has pointed out that this is not a simple case like those involving Everton or Nottingham Forest. Those clubs were punished for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules in a single accounting period. Even in those smaller cases, tens of thousands of documents were submitted as evidence. For Manchester City, the situation is far bigger. If there really are over a hundred charges, then City must also have over a hundred separate defences. That means thousands and thousands of documents, financial records, emails, contracts, and testimonies being examined.

The nature of the accusations also makes the case more serious. The Premier League claims that City disguised owner funding as sponsorship income. In simple terms, the league is accusing City of making it look like money was coming from sponsors when it was actually coming directly from the club’s owners. If proven, this would be considered extremely serious, closer to fraud than a technical breach of spending rules. Because of that, the standard of proof must be very high. The independent commission cannot rely on assumptions or public opinion. They need clear, overwhelming evidence to justify such a conclusion.

Another reason for the delay is the structure of the commission itself. There are three members on the independent panel, and all of them are highly respected professionals with busy careers outside football. They are not sitting together every day working on this case. Instead, they meet when they can, sometimes only a few times a month. Every meeting involves reviewing massive amounts of information and debating complex legal and financial arguments. This slow pace is frustrating, but it is also part of ensuring the decision is fair and legally strong enough to survive any appeal.

Maguire has even suggested that the Premier League may now regret charging City with so many alleged breaches at once. By throwing everything into one case, they created a process that is incredibly difficult to complete quickly. If they had focused only on the strongest charges, there might already be a verdict. Instead, the scale of the case has slowed everything down, leaving English football stuck in limbo.

When people look at previous cases, such as Everton and Forest, one thing becomes clear. When commissions found that clubs gained a sporting advantage by overspending or hiding costs, points deductions followed. That principle is likely to apply again if City are found guilty. But because City’s charges cover nearly a decade, any punishment would have to reflect that scale. Maguire has suggested that a points deduction of forty, fifty, or even sixty points is possible. Such a punishment would almost certainly mean relegation from the Premier League, even for a club as strong as City.

Still, it is important to remember that no punishment can be decided until guilt is proven. City remain innocent in the eyes of the law until the commission says otherwise. That fact is often lost in public debate, where many fans speak as if the verdict is already known. Inside the club, however, life has continued. City have kept signing players, selling players, winning matches, and competing for trophies. From the outside, it looks like business as usual, but the pressure is always there in the background.

Pep Guardiola has often been asked about the charges, and his responses have been careful. He has defended the club strongly while also acknowledging that he does not control the legal process. Players are asked about it too, usually giving short answers about focusing on football. But it is impossible to believe that something this big does not affect the dressing room at all. Every player knows that the future of the club could change dramatically with one announcement.

The wider impact on English football could also be huge. If City are found guilty and punished heavily, it would send a strong message to all clubs about financial regulation. Some would welcome that as a victory for fairness. Others would worry about the damage to the league’s global reputation. Manchester City are one of the Premier League’s biggest brands. Relegating them, even to the Championship, would be dramatic and historic. From the EFL’s point of view, having City in the Championship would be a commercial dream, bringing massive attention, TV interest, and stadium crowds. But it would also create competitive imbalance and new debates about fairness.

On the other hand, if City are cleared of all major charges, that outcome would also reshape the conversation. Many rival fans would feel angry and suspicious. The Premier League would face questions about why it pursued such a long and expensive case. City would feel justified and likely demand apologies, even if none officially come. The result, either way, will leave scars across the game.

For now, there is nothing to do but wait. The hearing is over, the evidence has been presented, and the arguments have been made. Somewhere behind closed doors, three people are working through thousands of pages, deciding the future of one of the biggest clubs in world football. When the verdict finally comes, it will be one of the most important moments in Premier League history. Until then, Manchester City continue to play, win, lose, celebrate, and suffer, all while knowing that everything could change with a single announcement.

The story of the 115 charges is no longer just about rules and finances. It is about trust, power, success, and the soul of modern football. Whether City are punished or cleared, the impact will be felt for years. Fans, clubs, players, and officials are all watching, all waiting, and all bracing themselves for a decision that could rewrite English football forever.