Manchester City face significant scrutiny following findings by the Premier League’s independent commission regarding a “disguised funding scheme” that inflated sponsorship income by £830m, alongside an additional £90m in expenses. While the club denies any wrongdoing and has appealed the verdict, BBC Sport has analyzed the potential financial repercussions for other teams in the English top flight between 2009 and 2018.
The analysis suggests that rival clubs could collectively have been disadvantaged by approximately £799.5m. This figure encompasses lost Premier League placement payments, costs associated with avoided relegations, missed Champions League revenues, and domestic cup competition losses. In contrast, City earned a total of £1.17bn across these competitions during the same period, including £812.3m from the Premier League and £363.4m from UEFA competitions.
Tottenham Hotspur appears to be the most significantly impacted side. Former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino described the era as one of “deception,” noting that no punishment can repair the damage done. Between 2010 and 2018, Tottenham finished just outside the Champions League spots in four seasons where City qualified for Europe’s elite competition. Using the 2014-15 season as a primary example, City earned £71.2m from reaching the Champions League semi-finals, whereas Tottenham received only £17.7m from their Europa League campaign—a deficit of £53.5m. When accounting for league placement differences and other factors, Spurs suffered a net financial loss of £119.9m.
Liverpool also faces substantial losses, potentially amounting to £48.5m. A pivotal moment occurred in the 2015-16 EFL Cup final, where Liverpool lost to City on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Had Liverpool won, they would have secured a Europa League place. Comparing their situation to Manchester United’s Europa League victory the following season—where United received £37.8m, including a £26.6m market pool payment—provides a benchmark for potential earnings. Combined with £10.6m in missed Premier League placement money, the total impact on the Merseyside club is estimated at £48.5m.
Relegation battles highlight further disparities. Hull City, who were relegated twice during the period, may have lost £99m when combining parachute payment losses and placement money. Swansea City follows closely with an estimated £63.1m loss, largely driven by relegation costs. Other clubs such as Newcastle United (£60.4m), Norwich (£43.8m), and Wigan (£39.6m) also experienced significant financial hits due to falling into the relegation zone, potentially influenced by City’s financially dominant squad.
Regarding Champions League qualification, Chelsea recorded the largest deficit among other missers, losing £39.8m after finishing fifth in 2017-18 while City reached the quarter-finals. Everton and Arsenal also incurred deficits of £32.6m and £22.1m respectively for missing out on top-four finishes. Manchester United, despite finishing fifth in 2015-16, saw a relatively minor deficit of £4.8m because City exited early in the Champions League that season.
The study focuses strictly on domestic financial impacts, excluding potential future earnings, sponsor bonuses, or player salary implications. It underscores how the influx of Abu Dhabi capital transformed City from a mid-table side to a dominant force, altering the financial landscape for all 35 other teams that played in the Premier League during the decade-long period under investigation.
Does this mean titles won fairly are still tainted? The article says City denies wrongdoing, but the math hurts.
Tottenham losing nearly £120m seems brutal. Four seasons missing out on the big money is devastating.
The numbers are staggering. £800 million is a lifetime supply of cash for smaller clubs fighting for survival.