Jamie Carragher makes Man City FFP punishment claim that’ll rattle club’s owners to the core

Manchester City should be handed a punishment that not only befits their heinous financial misdeeds, but one that impacts the club for several years to come, Jamie Carragher has claimed, while a Sky Sports News reporter has revealed why rival Premier League sides are so keen and pushing hard for a rapid verdict.

The latest international break has been dominated by one story: the Premier League’s verdict finding Manchester City guilty of 114 breaches of financial irregularities between 2009 and 2018, after an investigation concluded they had significantly swelled their income by some £830m through “sham” commercial agreements.

This cheating, which City strenuously deny and with the club having already lodged an appeal, allowed them to significantly outspend their rivals over that period in what proved a period of unmatched success.

While we exclusively revealed, in conversation with a top sports lawyer, that City plan to take the bid to clear their name all the way to the High Court, the Premier League is now holding separate conversations with its own advisors to decide on the most suitable punishment.

And with the possibilities high and almost endless given the gravity of the situation, Carragher has called on the Premier League to throw the book at City, suggesting a punishment over several years that will surely represent the worst-case scenario for their owners.

Speaking at the Legends of Football Awards, Carragher told Sky Sports News: “Now that we know that they’re guilty, yes, there’s an appeal, but now that they’ve got a big guilty verdict initially, now I don’t think anybody wants to wait.

“It has to be done this season, because Man City need to be affected for next season.

“I know the word at the moment is sham; it’ll almost make the Premier League of this season, the title to be won would be a sham, if Man City went on to win that league with what we know has gone on.

“So it has to be done this season, and I think the punishment, whatever it should be, I don’t think it can be a one-off punishment for one season, because this has gone on for years and years, so I think the punishment should go on for years and years.”

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Premier League rivals want swift decision

As City plan their appeal and the Premier League decides on the most fitting punishment, Sky Sports News’ Karveh Solhekol has explained why the competition’s other 19 members are pushing for a swift verdict, and why they are lobbying for any decision to impact the club with immediate effect, as opposed to delaying it until next season.

Solhekol explained: ‘Many believe that a points deduction is not a sufficient punishment if it would lead to City spending just one season outside the top flight.

‘It is only natural for clubs to think of their own self-interest and City’s relegation would mean one fewer club going down this season, as well as removing one of the favourites from the title race and opening up another European place. Self-interest is not the overriding consideration though.

‘The consensus appears to be that rules have to be respected by all clubs, no matter their size or status – and it would not be sufficient to hand City a punishment that would last only one season for rules which were broken across multiple seasons.’

In explaining the process by which a verdict will be reached, he added: ‘City’s rival Premier League clubs will not be involved in the sanction hearing, which could take place while the appeal process runs its course.

‘The same three-person panel which heard the evidence at the 42-day hearing in 2024 and delivered its core decision last Tuesday will decide on sanctions after the Premier League, as the prosecutors, put forward their recommendation and City’s lawyers argue their case.

‘It will be down to the Premier League board to decide what recommended sanction their lawyers should present to the panel.’

Meanwhile, City have been warned of the impending financial armageddon they will face, with brutal losses of around £500m annually for each year they spend outside the top flight.

Such a scenario would make it unviable for their top stars to hang around, and, off the back of that, we have looked at the shock exit route that could open up for Phil Foden and how Arsenal and Liverpool will be in the mix to sign one of their top midfield stars.