The Telegraph Exclusive: Manchester City May Be Excluded from Champions League, FA Cup and More, Not Just the Premier League

On September 19, an exclusive report by The Daily Telegraph in the UK pointed out that if Manchester City faces punishment, it may not only be expelled from the Premier League but also face exclusion from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and even run the risk of being unable to continue participating in the UEFA Champions League.

This case is seen as the “trial of the century” in English football history and one of the most important cases in the sports world, which could bring extremely serious consequences for Manchester City. It is reported that the independent commission will make a final ruling in early 2025, with a ten-week hearing having commenced in London last Monday. Manchester City insists on its innocence and denies the 115 to 130 charges related to financial irregularities brought against it by the Premier League.

Major teams in England and La Liga president Javier Tebas expect Manchester City to face severe punishments, which may include financial fines, point deductions, expulsion from competitions, and stripping of titles.

“Manchester City is a rule-breaker in the league and should be punished accordingly. Otherwise, the integrity of the game will be severely compromised,” said La Liga president Javier Tebas in an interview.

The Daily Telegraph exclusively revealed, “If Manchester City is found to have seriously violated financial regulations, they could be expelled from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and may even be unable to continue participating in the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.”

According to lawyer Borja Garcia, “Manchester City would be removed from the competition rather than relegated.” Furthermore, other domestic competitions might take corresponding measures.

“According to Rule 31 of the FA Cup, ‘if a club is admitted to the competition but is subsequently expelled from its league, the Professional Game Board has the power to expel it from the FA Cup.’ The rules for the Carabao Cup state that participating clubs are ‘members of the leagues and members of the Premier League,'” the report added.

Although the relevant rules of UEFA and FIFA are more complex, five charges faced by Manchester City involve violations of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Regulations between 2013 and 2018. “If Manchester City is excluded from all domestic football competitions, their chances of continuing in the Champions League and Club World Cup will be greatly reduced.”

For Manchester City, it is almost an insurmountable task to completely escape these charges, and if most of them are confirmed, the outcome will be catastrophic.