Manchester City's potential sanctions for breaking financial fair play rules could be one massive punishment or several different ones combined. That is, unless City unexpectedly wins its appeal against being found guilty of breaking the rules. But one possible sanction would have long-term effects that no Blues fans should want.
The idea is that City will face a huge point deduction, potentially as much as 100 points. That amount wouldn't need to take place all at once, of course, and in the eyes of the Premier League, it would be better to not do that. Taking 100 points away in one year only hurts City for that one season.
The team has enough talent to bounce back quickly, if that occurs. Most of the stars for the club are under contract for many seasons to come (Erling Haaland is linked to the club until 2034, for instance), so one year in the Championship, for example, wouldn't be overly impactful. Keeping the club from winning the Premier League title for many years would be.
Potential Manchester City sanctions could have a long-lasting effect
If 100 points were deducted, the league could take 20 points away from each of the next five seasons. City wouldn't win the league during that time, almost certainly. If those points being deducted are coupled with a transfer ban during the same time, the league would effectively cripple Man City for most of the rest of the decade.
Depending on who one believes -- Manchester City's ownership group, who says they have done nothing wrong, or the Premier League, who says City is guilty of more than 100 charges -- will depend on how one feels about possible sanctions. But if one sides with the league, such as a Manchester United fan, one would want what the league might want: To crush future title hopes for City.
There are only a number of ways of doing that. A one-season point deduction does little. The players likely don't have outs in their contracts for the club facing charges and being found guilty (though City could sell off star players to recoup its losses from a presumed huge fine), so the team would destroy every other team in the Championship and be back in the Premier League by next season.
A ban on transfers, meaning current players would likely leave for other teams, leaving Manchester City as a diminished club, and being deducted points over several consecutive seasons would have a far greater impact.
That is, of course, if City's appeal doesn't overturn the verdict. Plus, a decision on sanctions might not come quickly, no matter what Premier League rules state. Blues fans might be worrying about all of this more in 2031 than in 2027.
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