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Man City FFP: City could face nuclear option with unfit owners as most likely outcome mooted
Sep 26 2026 15:21 · By onefootball.com · 4 Reads
According to reports, there is a ‘nuclear option’ on the table after Manchester City were found guilty of breaching FFP rules.
On Friday afternoon, The Athletic‘s David Ornstein revealed that Man City have been found guilty on 114 of their 115 charges after being accused of breaching the Premier League’s FFP regulations.
At the start of 2023, the Premier League referred Man City to an independent comission following a four-year probe into the club’s alleged conduct between 2009 and 2018.
This news sent shockwaves around the footballing world, but the longer this process has dragged on, the more it has looked likely that Man City will win the case or escape with little punishment.
This is partly because they have immense resources with their mega-rich owners, while they have remained insistent on their innocence throughout this process and have continued to spend freely in the transfer market.
However, the case has gone against Enzo Maresca‘s side, who now face severe sanctions for their alleged wrongdoing.
Man City will appeal the initial verdict, but if this fails, they would face a fine, transfer ban, points deduction, expulsion and/or being stripped of their Premier League titles.
Man City face ‘nuclear option’ after FFP guilty verdict
And there could be wider consequences for Man City with potential player exits, while there could also be sanctions for their owners and/or club chiefs.
A new report from talkSPORT claims the ‘nuclear option’ for Man City is ‘if the government’s Independent Football Regulator decides their owners or senior officials named in the judgement are unfit’.
Consequence of Man City ‘nuclear option’ revealed
The report adds that this could lead to ‘calls for Manchester City’s owners and senior officials to stand down in the wake of the club being found guilty of the majority of their 115 financial charges’.
However, the report claims some of Man City’s Premier League rivals still think that Man City will get away with a relatively minor punishment after being found guilty.