Manchester City, one of the biggest clubs in the world and the reigning Premier League champions, is now facing extensive cheating allegations with potentially massive consequences. This all comes as a result of a four year investigation conducted by the Premier League into the finances of the club.

The accusations leveled against Manchester City are composed of over 100 individual charges mainly surrounding misrepresented club finances, individual contracts, and illegal revenue, as well as not cooperating with investigation. Manchester City recently faced a similar case brought against them by UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), which accused City of guising illegal funds from the owners as revenue from sponsors. After appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Manchester City got away with a slap on the wrist. 

This time around, the charges are much more severe, ranging all the way back to the 2009 season and calling into question six league titles, two FA cups, and several other trophies and achievements. 

The case will be presented to a commission of three experts who will decide whether the evidence presented is enough to convict the club. The exact process is yet to be disclosed, but what we do know is that based on the precedent of the UEFA vs Man City case, there will need to be an extremely strong argument for City to see any real punishment. 

In the case that Manchester City is proven to have been cheating, the range of discipline is undefined, and could be as severe as major point deduction for the current season, relegation to a lower league, or stripping City of their trophies. 

Unfortunately for those who are hoping to see Manchester City either proven innocent or brought to justice, they will likely have to wait a long time. While there has been four years of investigation so far, the case itself could take anywhere from a few months to multiple years for everything to be settled. Until then, we can expect Manchester City to continue playing, and possibly adding to the club’s list of trophies that could be taken away.