Premier League has little appetite to strip Manchester City titles, BBC reports

There is little support within the Premier League and its clubs for stripping Manchester City of past titles following the reported findings in the club's financial-rules case, according to BBC Sport. However, the broadcaster reported that an independent panel, rather than the league's clubs, will decide the punishment and has yet to hold its sanctions hearing.

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BBC sports editor Dan Roan reported on September 26 that the lack of appetite for removing trophies does not rule out that outcome. Fines, points deductions and expulsion are among the possible penalties identified in the report. No sanction has been announced, and City's past honours have not been reassigned as a result of the reported findings.

The case concerns alleged breaches including inflated sponsorship income from connected companies and payments outside the club's accounts. BBC Sport reported that City had been found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges they faced. The club has consistently denied wrongdoing. The period from 2009 to 2018 is central to the debate about whether historical results could be affected.

City won three Premier League titles during that period, in 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2017-18. Manchester United finished second in the first and third of those seasons, with Liverpool runners-up in 2013-14. The eight trophies identified in the BBC report also include the 2010-11 FA Cup, three League Cups and the 2012-13 Community Shield. Those results explain why the discussion extends beyond the league championship alone.

According to the BBC's account of the regulations, title removal is not expressly listed alongside the available sanctions. The rules nevertheless give a disciplinary panel broader discretion over punishment. That leaves a distinction between the reported preferences inside the league and what the panel might ultimately decide; neither a decision to remove titles nor one to preserve them has been confirmed.

A separate issue is potential compensation. BBC Sport reported that several clubs were considering claims for lost earnings, describing that route as more likely than titles being removed. Those possible claims remain distinct from the pending sporting sanctions. For now, both the punishment and any financial consequences beyond it remain unresolved.