Two senior officials from separate Premier League powerhouses told Sky Sports News they would be "staggered" and "astonished" if a majority of the 20 clubs ever voted to remove Manchester City from the top flight. They argued that such a step would amount to a "self‑inflicted commercial disaster" for the league as a whole. The independent commission that is investigating the club’s financial affairs has a menu of possible sanctions. In addition to expulsion, it can impose a hefty fine, deduct points from the league table, or place a transfer embargo on the club.
Earlier this week the commission concluded that City had breached 114 of the 115 allegations of financial misconduct that were brought against them. City, however, maintains its innocence and has pledged to appeal the decision.
Sky Sports News reports that conversations are still ongoing among the chief executives of the other Premier League sides, both within individual clubs and across the league, about how they would respond to any new developments. Some are already weighing their own legal options, including the prospect of filing a financial claim against Manchester City if the club is found to have broken the rules. In a surprising twist, many rival clubs appear to view City as a cornerstone of the Premier League’s global commercial appeal. One unnamed executive told Sky Sports News that voting to expel the club would be "like cutting off their noses to spite their faces" because the financial fallout would be severe for every member of the league.
"If City were expelled, the commercial repercussions would be massive for everyone involved," he explained. "Broadcasters in the UK and abroad would likely demand refunds or renegotiate contracts because the product – a 20‑team league featuring the sport's biggest stars – would be diminished. Sponsorship deals and other corporate revenue streams would also suffer, as the most dominant English side of the past two decades would disappear from the marquee competition." The executive went on to note that an expulsion occurring this season or the next would leave only 19 clubs to complete the fixture schedule.
That reduction would not only affect match‑day revenue but also erode the league’s negotiating power with television partners, who could argue that the product they paid for is now less attractive. Beyond the macro‑economic concerns, the fate of high‑profile players such as Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and their teammates would hang in the balance. Their potential departure or reduced visibility would further undermine the Premier League’s brand, making the risk of expulsion "not worth taking," according to the source.
There is also a strategic dimension to the debate. Some top‑flight clubs believe that keeping City in the league could damage the competition’s integrity and long‑term image. They argue that a prolonged period outside the Premier League for City, even if it causes short‑term financial pain, might be necessary to preserve the league’s global reputation.
These differing viewpoints among Premier League clubs are unlikely to influence the independent commission’s recommendation, but they could become pivotal if the clubs are called upon to vote on the sanction. Should the commission advise expulsion and the clubs reject it, the situation would be unprecedented, and it is unclear what further penalties could be levied against City. Sky Sports News also sought reactions from the Championship about the prospect of City dropping into the second tier. If the Premier League were to expel City, the Football Association and the English Football League would decide the club’s destination, requiring a vote of the 72 clubs across both divisions.
One Championship director warned that City’s entry into the second tier would bring no benefit to the league. "The finances are so massive they would simply steamroll the Championship and bounce back up immediately," he said, adding that it would rob other clubs of a promotion spot because no existing Championship side could compete with City’s wealth. Another senior figure in the Championship emphasized the need to protect the integrity of the entire English football pyramid, not just the top flight.
"If they are expelled from the Premier League, they shouldn’t be allowed to parachute straight into the Championship," he argued. "They must earn their way back up like any other club." A third source from the lower leagues expressed uncertainty about the process, noting that the decision‑makers must consider the interests of all clubs fairly. "There is a lot of speculation at the moment," he said, "but we hope that the EFL clubs' concerns are taken into account." In summary, while the independent commission’s findings have placed Manchester City under a cloud of possible sanctions, many executives across the Premier League and Championship view expulsion as a step that would cause far‑reaching commercial damage, disrupt broadcasting agreements, and jeopardise the league’s global standing. The debate continues as clubs weigh legal options, financial implications and the broader impact on English football’s reputation.