Exonerated of all charges
This is the perfect scenario for Man City and in every statement, they aim for this so as not to tarnish the honor of the team that dominates English football.
"We hope this will be resolved once and for all. I have never seen a team with as much confidence as Man City at the moment," a former Premier League CEO told The Athletic.
As for The Citizens, they always recall the club's "victory" before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2020. After that, the team won the Champions League for the first time in 2023. This time, if they overcome the storm, Pep Guardiola's team will be given more confidence to aim for more glory.
After the relevant parties have made a decision, if an unfavorable situation occurs, Man City will once again file a complaint to CAS to reclaim their innocence as they have always affirmed. If the 2020 scenario repeats, the Etihad Stadium team will once again be "exploded" in the media.
At that time, the teams that have been dominated by Man City for the past 7 years in the Premier League could increase the discomfort for the blue half of Manchester.
Agreement and settlement
Because the investigation process has been postponed so many times, scenarios have long appeared in the British media suggesting that the Premier League and Man City will eventually reach a common agreement so that both sides "feel okay". Fines, even large amounts of money, are the first mentioned form. In addition, penalties such as deducting points in installments over each season are also mentioned.
Many scenarios have been drawn up to avoid a heavy blow to Man City. That devastating blow can be dispersed in force to impact at many times, thereby helping the blue team not be defeated. Deducting 80 points at once is very different from dividing the points deducted over many seasons.
However, this settlement scenario is unlikely to happen. In the past few years, many Premier League teams have wanted to take down Man City in this way. The competition in the top flight of the foggy country is not only The Citizens, it also has 19 other teams. Through the developments in the past few months, it can be seen that both sides will not be lenient. This past summer was proof when Man City filed a lawsuit against the Premier League regarding ATP (related party transaction rules).
Point deduction or relegation
This is the most conceivable scenario at the moment. In the 2023-2024 season, when Everton and Nottingham were fined, many opinions about Man City emerged in the British media. Everton violated 4 rules and was penalized with a deduction of 10 points (later reduced by 4 points on appeal). If calculated proportionally with Man City's figure, the deduction of points would be enough to relegate the defending champions before the 2025-2026 season even started.
In the context that if Man City is found guilty in May 2025, they may receive additional aggravating circumstances. The reason is that over the years, the Manchester team has used many tricks to make it difficult for the investigating agencies. The Premier League can then also charge Man City with additional crimes for causing the league and other teams to suffer many losses for many years.
In the Premier League's regulations, section W.51 describes that the penalty for such a team can be a deduction of points, relegation or permanent exclusion from the top flight of English football.
Man City fans are waiting for their beloved club to safely escape the storm. However, many rival teams and their fans are looking forward to sinking the Citizens' ship once and for all.
