Last week, The Athletic revealed that Manchester City had been found guilty of “almost all” charges related to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. The Premier League has now confirmed the news, with an independent commission finding that the club had used sham contracts and agreements as part of a “disguised funding scheme” (among other things). Manchester City maintains its innocence and intends to appeal the verdict.
Seen as the “biggest disciplinary case” in the history of elite English football, there have been a wide range of sanctions mooted in the event that the appeals process fails.
New data from YouGov Surveys shows that, among supporters of clubs within the top four tiers of English football, two-thirds favour Manchester City paying a financial penalty (66%), while more than three in five would support a points deduction (63%). Half also favour a transfer ban (51%). All three punishments have recent precedents in top-flight history.
Additionally, nearing half (47%) of fans would support a ban from European football, while almost as many (45%) would favour stripping any trophies won during 2009-2018 (the period when the breaches are alleged to have occurred). Two in five back City being expelled from the Premier League (42%).
When supporters were asked whether they thought a revoked Premier League title should be given to the runner-up or left unassigned, half (50%) favoured giving the title to the second-placed team while two in five (38%) said the title should be vacated.
Beyond any potential sanctions issued by the Premier League, there has been speculation that the Citizens could face legal claims from clubs that were adversely affected by its alleged breaches of financial rules. When asked, seven in ten supporters say Manchester City should pay compensation (71%), while 14% say it should not.
Fans think City broke the rules
An overwhelming majority (86%) of football fans think Manchester City broke the Premier League’s financial rules. Belief in the club’s guilt has increased by 10 percentage points compared to when we first asked about the case in 2023.
The data finds that fewer than half (44%) expect the club will face serious reprisals if it is found guilty, with 49% of supporters saying the club is unlikely to face major consequences. However, this also represents a shift from 2023, when 31% said it was likely that the club would face a significant punishment and 63% said it was unlikely.
Methodology
YouGov polled 2,013 Britons on 28-29 September 2026, with 832 saying they were fans of a football club from the Premier League, the EFL Championship, League One, or League Two. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. The margin of error is 2% for the overall sample.
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