Jamie Carragher has publicly urged that Manchester City should have all of their recent honours taken away after an independent inquiry concluded that the club committed serious violations of the Premier League's financial regulations. The panel determined that City breached the rules in every charge covering the seasons from 2009/10 through 2017/18 – a period that saw the Sky Blues capture three league crowns, one FA Cup, three League Cups and a Community Shield. The final penalties have yet to be decided.
The commission will reconvene for a further hearing, and Manchester City, which continues to reject the accusations, has said it will lodge an appeal. The club has until Friday, 2 October, to submit its notice of appeal. Potential punishments range from points deductions and hefty fines to transfer bans and even expulsion from the top flight.
But one of the most dramatic possibilities is the removal of the titles and trophies themselves. What would that look like in practice?
Manchester City’s three Premier League triumphs in the 2009/10‑2017/18 window came in dramatic fashion. In 2012 they snatched the crown from Manchester United on the final day when Sergio Aguero scored the now‑iconic winner. Two years later they edged out Liverpool by two points to claim the 2014 title, and in 2018 they set a new benchmark by reaching 100 points, again denying United the trophy. If the league decided simply to hand those championships to the runners‑up, the record books would shift dramatically.
Manchester United would be awarded two additional crowns – one for the Sir Alex Ferguson era and another for Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s tenure – taking the Red Devils’ total to fifteen. Liverpool would also gain a title, giving Jurgen Klopp his second league triumph.
However, stripping City of their honours does not automatically mean that every club below them moves up a place. One precedent is the 2004/05 Serie A scandal, where Juventus had their title revoked and the championship was left vacant rather than reassigned. The Premier League could adopt a similar approach, leaving the 2012, 2014 and 2018 seasons without an official winner. Another, more radical, option would be to expunge Manchester City’s league record for the nine seasons in question.
This would involve removing every match result involving City from the official tables, recalculating points for all other clubs, and potentially reshuffling final positions. In such a scenario, Manchester United and Liverpool would still emerge as the new champions for the affected seasons, but the ripple effect would be far broader.
For instance, Blackpool, who were relegated in the 2010/11 campaign, would have avoided the drop if City’s results were erased, while Wolverhampton Wanderers would have taken their place instead. Everton’s European hopes were also compromised; in four of the nine seasons City finished above them, denying the Toffees a spot in the UEFA competitions. In the 2013/14 season Everton finished fifth and entered the Europa League, but the top four – including the champions City – qualified for the Champions League, meaning Everton missed out on the more prestigious tournament.
Tottenham Hotspur experienced a similar fate. In four separate seasons during the period, City’s higher league position kept Spurs out of the Champions League, consigning them to the Europa League each time. Likewise, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United missed out on the elite competition in various years because City occupied the qualifying spots. Liverpool, Swansea City and Southampton also saw their European ambitions curtailed by City’s dominance.
The loss of a Champions League berth can have significant financial implications, affecting broadcasting revenue, sponsorship deals and player recruitment. The ramifications extend beyond league tables. In 2011, Tony Pulis, then manager of Stoke City, watched his side lose the FA Cup final to City – a victory that gave the Sky Blues their first major trophy in 35 years.
Pulis later described the result as a "cheated" feeling, hinting at the lingering bitterness that could resurface if the win were nullified. City’s three League Cup successes – over Sunderland in 2014, Liverpool in 2016 and Arsenal in 2018 – would also be called into question.
Sunderland have not lifted a major trophy since their 1973 FA Cup triumph, so the removal of the 2014 League Cup would deepen that drought. Liverpool’s manager Jürgen Klopp was denied his first piece of silverware when City won on penalties at Wembley, while Arsenal’s long‑serving boss Arsène Wenger missed the chance to end his tenure with a trophy in his final season. The 2012 Community Shield, a one‑off match between the league champions and FA Cup winners, saw City defeat Chelsea.
If that title were stripped, Chelsea would be retroactively recognised as the winners of that season’s curtain‑raiser. Beyond the immediate sporting consequences, there are broader considerations. Sponsorship contracts, player bonuses, and historical records would all need to be revised.
Players who earned bonus payments for winning titles might face contractual disputes, and clubs that sold merchandise bearing the disputed trophies could encounter financial losses. In summary, the removal of Manchester City’s titles would not simply rewrite a few lines in a record book; it would trigger a cascade of adjustments affecting league standings, European qualification, club finances, managerial legacies and fan sentiment.
Whether the Premier League opts for vacant championships, reallocation to runners‑up, or a complete expungement of City’s results, the fallout would be felt across English football for years to come.