Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has suggested that Manchester City F.C. could face a points deduction of between 40 and 60 points if found guilty in their ongoing Financial Fair Play (FFP) case.
The Premier League champions have been charged with 115 alleged breaches of financial regulations between 2009 and 2018 — allegations the club has consistently denied.
Speaking on The Overlap, Maguire argued that any punishment imposed by the Premier League would likely involve a significant points deduction rather than relegation.
“The Premier League cannot relegate Manchester City to League One or League Two because that is an EFL decision and Manchester City have not had any charges proven against them by the EFL,” he explained. “Therefore, it has to be a points deduction.”
Maguire compared City’s case with recent sanctions handed to Everton F.C. and Nottingham Forest F.C., who received six- and four-point deductions respectively in 2024 for single breaches over a three-year accounting period.
He noted that the allegations against City span nine years and potentially involve significantly larger financial figures. “I think you have to add a zero to what we’ve seen in terms of Forest and Everton, so somewhere between a 40 and 60-point deduction would, on merit and to be consistent with what we’ve seen with other decisions, make a lot of logic,” he said.
Maguire further suggested that if more serious allegations — including claims akin to corporate fraud — were proven, it could lead to broader consequences beyond sporting sanctions. He referenced the case of Juventus F.C. in Serie A, where the club’s board resigned following proven financial irregularities.
According to Maguire, if Manchester City were ultimately found guilty, the situation could raise governance concerns and potentially trigger major structural changes at the club.
Manchester City and the Premier League have both expressed confidence in their respective positions as the case continues.