MANCHESTER CITY’s rule-breaking has left their rivals asking one burning question — “What did it cost us?”
The Premier League side were found to be accountable for all charges relating to serious financial breaches over the nine-season period.
Yet they denied any wrongdoing and have appealed against the independent commission’s findings.
The likes of Liverpool and Manchester United may have been controversially pipped to Prem crowns.
But, from Tottenham’s European near-misses to Hull’s relegation heartbreak, the potential price tag stretches far beyond the title race.
The BBC’s eyewatering receipts feature league payments, European earnings, cup competitions and the financial damage of dropping out of the top flight.
The figures relate to the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons, where 35 clubs featured in the top flight.
Potential earnings from qualifying for the following year’s competitions were included but they cannot prove any club would have profited.
Yet the 35 estimates below add up to more than £838million.
SunSport breaks down the figures, investigating the domestic impact to see who has the biggest bone to pick.
35. – £755,881
Reading have the smallest figure on the list, but three-quarters of a million is hardly loose change after their 2012/13 campaign.
34. – £756,756
Blackpool’s one-season Premier League holiday leaves them with a potential £756,756 shortfall.
Small fry compared with some of the other figures, but a hefty sum for the Seasiders.
33. PORTSMOUTH – £800,424
Pompey were riddled with financial troubles when they went down in 2010.
But an extra £800,000 would have been welcome at a club struggling to keep its head above water.
32. – £1,236,083
Cardiff’s single Prem season during the period earns them a place on the list stretching far beyond City’s usual trophy rivals.
What are Man City charged with?
THE Premier League claim Man City hid £900m in 'sham' deals across a nine-year period.
They were found guilty on 114 of the initial 115 charges – with the number now up to 130 charges – which fit into six categories…
- Failing to give accurate financial information over sponsorship revenue, related parties and operating costs between 2009-10 and 2017/18. Total charges: 50
- Failing to provide full details of managerial remuneration between 2009/10 and 2012/13. Total charges 8
- Failing to provide full details of player remuneration between 2010/11 and 2015/16. Total charges 12
- Failing to comply with Uefa Licencing and Financial Fair Play regulations between 2013/14 and 2017/18. Total charges 5
- Breaching Premier League Profitability and Sustainability rules between 2015/16 and 2017/18. Total charges 25
- Failing to co-operate with the Premier League investigation between 2018/19 and 2022/23. Total charges 30
- Total charges: 130
31. – £1,930,000
Like Cardiff, the Terriers had just one campaign in the rule-breaking period but it’s come at an unfortunate price.
30. – £1,930,000
Brighton’s first Prem season fell at the end of the nine-year period and their potential price of not finishing a place higher comes at a huge £1.93m.
29. – £1,941,609
Boro’s £1.94m figure illustrates how precious even one league place had become towards the end of the period as the telly money soared.
28. – £2,312,242
Wolves arrive with a £2.3m bone to pick.
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Timeline: What happens next?
- December 25 – Deadline for appeal to conclude (12 weeks after appeal is lodged)
- December 14-18 – Possible date for maximum five-day appeal hearing
- January 17 – Deadline for commission to produce final verdict
Their figure sits well below the biggest relegation estimates because the BBC’s survival model only includes the clubs who went down in 18th place.
27. – £2,312,242
Curiously, the Rovers’ potential cost comes down to exactly the same pound as Wolves.
26. – £2,755,841
QPR’S total comes to £2.8m.
Neither of their relegations qualify for the 18th-place survival calculation, so this is not a valuation of the full financial damage of those drops.
25. – £4,304,206
The Cottagers’ estimate figure stands at £4.3m.
24. – £5,114,014
The Cherries registered over £5.1m in missed income, reflecting how several seasons of league-position payments can add up for clubs lower down.
23. – £5,114,014
The Hornets’ potential shortfall comes to £5.1m – the same as Bournemouth’s.
22. – £5,116,507
The Foxes had their own title-winning fairytale BUT still appear on this financial hit-list.
Winning the league did not cancel out the potential cost of finishing below City in other seasons.
21. – £6,791,509
Villa’s estimated total comes to £6.8m.
Their miserable 2016 relegation is not counted towards the specific survival calculation, having finished rock bottom.
20. – £7,594,995
The figure stands at £7.6m, as the non-Champions League, Premier League chasing teams were also hit hard.
19. – £9,862,694
The Baggies’ potential league-position shortfall adds up to nearly £9.9m.
And there was little need for a title showdown or a Wembley final to make the sums mount up.
Using the BBC’s method, every finish below City represented the possibility of another place – and another payment.
18. – £9,908,056
The Hammers’ overall figure is just under £10m but City’s success also opened one door for West Ham.
When City beat Liverpool in the 2016 League Cup final, the normal Europa League place was passed through the league standings to the East Londoners.
17. – £11,563,118
City beat the Potters in the 2011 FA Cup final, with £900,000 separating the winners’ and runners-up prize money.
Stoke still qualified for the Europa League with that European opportunity not lost.
But they did finish below City in all nine league seasons covered.
16. – £13,975,399
The Black Cats’ 2014 League Cup final defeat to City meant a Europa League place passed down the league to Tottenham.
15. – £18,349,716
After finishing fifth in 2015/16, the Red Devils won the following season’s Europa League and earned £37.8m.
City collected £42.6m after reaching the Champions League’s last 16.
Yet the £18.3m cannot quantify the heartbreak of watching their neighbours’ success.
14. – £20,350,549
The Saints are the first to breach the £20m mark.
13. – £25,166,636
In a season that delivered League Cup glory, it also ended with Birmingham falling through the Prem’s trapdoor.
Their 18th-place finish in 2010/11 accounts for an estimated £23.6m gap between top-flight earnings and parachute payments.
League-position money brings the total to an eyewatering £25.2m.
12. – £26,489,584
Bolton’s narrow escape never came and the financial stakes were gutwrenching.
Wanderers finished 18th in 2011/12 and the estimated difference between another Prem season and their first parachute payment was £24.2m.
11. – £30,855,609
Missing the Champions League came at a hefty price for the Gunners.
Arsenal finished fifth in 2016/17, sending them into the Europa League the next season and when comparing their European earnings to City’s a £22.1m gap can be spotted.
10. – £31,140,969
The Clarets’ first Premier League relegation came when they finished 18th in 2009/10.
Staying up could have been worth around £25.2m more than the parachute payment they received.
9. – £39,605,000
Wigan beat City to lift the FA Cup but their league campaign ended in tears as they finished 18th in 2012/13.
The estimated financial difference between survival and relegation came to £36.5m after their first parachute payment.
8. – £43,826,069
The Canaries’ 2014 relegation counts for most of their £43.8m figure, having finished 18th in 2013/14.
Using the following season’s bottom club as the benchmark for Prem earnings, then subtracting Norwich’s parachute payment, gives a £39.8m gap.
7. – £45,763,255
Even lifting a European trophy could not match the Champions League money machine.
Chelsea finished fifth in 2017/18 before winning the following season’s Europa League, earning £39.4m.
But City reached the Champions League quarter-finals and collected £79.2m – a whole £39.8m difference.
6. – £52,333,449
Defeat by City in the 2016 League Cup final at Wembley, followed by an eighth-place finish, left the Reds without European football.
The BBC model uses United’s £37.8m Europa League-winning campaign the following season as a potential return – though Liverpool had no guarantee of matching it.
And finishing below City in all nine seasons adds a whopping £10.6m in potential league-position cash.
5. – £60,476,281
The Magpies’ 2016 relegation carries a potential £52.6m price tag after their parachute payments.
Another £7.9m in league-position cash payments take their hypothetical shortfall to nearly £60.5m.
4. – £63,134,803
The Swans’ top-flight exit makes up most of their £63.1m estimate.
Finishing 18th in 2018 accounts for their £54m in potential lost income after parachute payments.
And moving up one place in each of their seven Premier League seasons adds £9.1m.
3. – £66,432,752
After finishing fifth in 2014, Everton missed out on a potential £32.6m Champions League windfall after taking away their Europa League income.
But four further near-misses for Europa League qualification add £23.2m with league-position money completing the estimate.
2. – £99,003,349
Two relegations puts the Tigers a whisker short of £100m, having finished 18th in 2015 and 2017.
The potential survival was worth £93.8m after deducting parachute payments and their league-position cash adds £5.2m.
1. – £119,904,410
Spurs have topped the table that no-one wants to win with nearly £120m of potential missed income.
Four times during the period, Tottenham finished one place outside the Champions League qualifying positions while City booked their ticket.
City banked £148.2m from the subsequent Champions League campaigns, compared with Spurs’ £29.9m from the Europa League.
In the 2015/16 season, City went on to reach the Champions League semi-finals and collect £71.2m, while Tottenham earned £17.7m in the Europa League.
But there was one upside with City’s 2014 League Cup triumph opening a European place for Spurs, who earned £5.1m from the following campaign.
