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What could happen if Manchester City are expelled from the Premier League?
30th September, 2026 04:57 PM
Manchester City’s future in the Premier League could become the subject of a major regulatory decision after an independent commission found the club guilty of serious breaches of the competition’s financial regulations.
City have until Friday, October 2, 2026, to lodge an appeal against the findings and have already made clear that they intend to challenge the decision.
Any punishment will be determined at a separate confidential hearing. The possible sanctions range from financial penalties and a points deduction to restrictions on transfers and, in the most severe scenario, expulsion from the Premier League.
Because the case is unprecedented, there is limited previous experience to guide the commission when determining an appropriate punishment.
Who will decide City’s punishment?
The independent commission handling the case will determine the sanction.
Its options include a fine, a points deduction and potentially removing Manchester City from the Premier League.
However, the commission does not have the authority to simply order City to drop one or two divisions. If the club is removed from the Premier League, it would be an expulsion rather than a conventional relegation.
A sufficiently large points deduction could, however, leave City in a position where relegation becomes unavoidable.
The commission also cannot dictate the division in which City would subsequently enter the English football pyramid if they were expelled.
Could Manchester City end up in the Championship?
Yes, but only through a points deduction that is large enough to result in relegation from the Premier League.
An expulsion would be different because it would mean City cease to be members of the Premier League rather than being relegated through the normal sporting process.
What if City are expelled?
If Manchester City were expelled from the Premier League, the club would have to approach the Football Association to seek a place elsewhere in the English football pyramid.
The FA and English Football League would then have to determine how the club could be brought back into the league structure.
Where City would play would become a complicated issue, as there is no straightforward precedent for a case of this scale.
Another question would concern City’s matches already played during the season. The Premier League would have to consider whether those results should remain on the record or be removed, particularly because any expulsion would happen during the campaign.
Where would Manchester City enter the EFL?
The EFL’s regulations state that a new member entering the organisation starts in League Two.
However, Manchester City’s situation would raise questions over whether the club could be admitted at a higher level.
The EFL consists of its member clubs, meaning any decision to place City in a particular division above League Two would require approval through a vote.
All 72 EFL clubs would participate in such a decision, with a simple majority required under the relevant voting system.
That process has previously been used for major structural decisions, including changes to the Championship play-off system.
A key issue would be whether clubs in the various EFL divisions would support City’s admission into their competition.
What happens to the Premier League if City leave?
Expelling City would immediately create a numerical problem because the Premier League would be left with 19 clubs.
That would require the competition to determine how the imbalance should be addressed for the remainder of the season and beyond.
One possible consequence would be a reduction in the number of clubs relegated from the Premier League that season, with only two teams dropping into the Championship instead of the usual three.
The final arrangements, however, would depend on decisions made by the Premier League and other football authorities following any sanction.
