Gary Neville, former England defender and current co‑owner of Salford City, warned that the owners of Manchester City could face serious difficulty in maintaining their position at the club if the Premier League’s guilty verdict on financial misconduct remains in force after the appeal process. The Manchester City board announced on Friday that it has filed a comprehensive appeal against the independent commission’s finding that the club breached financial regulations on a massive scale over a nine‑year period. The case, which began in 2018, reached a pivotal moment on Tuesday when the Premier League released its decision, concluding that City was "guilty of all charges related to serious breaches" of the league’s financial‑fair‑play rules. Potential penalties outlined by the league range from hefty fines and points deductions to, in the most extreme scenario, expulsion from the competition.
Neville, who also sits on the ownership board of Salford City in the English Football League, argued that the appropriate response should be a rigorous review of whether Manchester City’s owners satisfy the league’s owners’ and directors’ test. He said the alleged misconduct has "dragged English football through the mud" and that the owners must be held to the highest standards of accountability.
"It’s hard to see how the Man City owners can comply with the owners’ and directors’ test in this country if the verdict remains," Neville said. "The reality is, because of improper owners of clubs, there are a lot stricter rules in place. It’ll be difficult for the Man City owners to retain their status." He stressed that football clubs are more than commercial enterprises; they are community assets that hold deep meaning for fans and the cities they represent.
"Clubs are protected assets, community assets, because of the meaning of them to fans and people of a city, so owners have to comply with the rules and laws set out in the test," he added. Neville suggested a two‑step approach: first, apply the owners’ and directors’ test, and second, evaluate the achievements earned during the period in question to decide whether they should continue to be recognised.
"Those two things would have the most direct consequence on English football," he explained. "If I was Man City, I’d snap your hand off for a fine or points deduction, even if it was 60 points, because that would only damage you for a moment in time." He further argued that the focus should shift away from financial penalties and toward the broader implications for the sport.
"To own a football club in this country is one of the greatest responsibilities you can have. It needs to be taken very seriously. We can’t get bogged down with fines and points deductions; we must concentrate on the two most important things: the achievements during that time and what happens to the owners and executives who oversaw that period," Neville asserted.
The investigatory panel’s report detailed that Manchester City had artificially inflated its revenue by more than £900 million through what the league described as "sham" deals, effectively circumventing the financial‑fair‑play framework. This financial boost enabled the club to sign some of the world’s top talent and dominate English football’s major trophies throughout the period in question.
Neville expressed his disappointment that the Premier League, which he called "our greatest export around the world," is now tarnished because the most successful team of the last fifteen years faces accusations of winning titles through illicit means. "The Premier League is being dragged through the mud because the very best team over the last 15 years, as we stand, are guilty of winning titles inappropriately. That’s devastating," he said. He warned that if the guilty verdict stands, the legacy of Manchester City’s recent triumphs will be forever stained.
"If the guilty verdict stands it won’t be real. It’ll be a period tainted forever. The achievements themselves are tarnished," Neville concluded.
The appeal process is expected to be lengthy, and the final decision will have far‑reaching consequences not only for Manchester City but also for the broader governance of English football. Stakeholders across the sport are watching closely to see whether the league will enforce the owners’ and directors’ test, impose severe sanctions, or adopt a different remedial approach.
The outcome will shape the narrative around financial integrity, competitive fairness, and the responsibilities of club owners in the Premier League for years to come.