Key Takeaways:
- Manchester City were found guilty on all but one of 114 alleged financial breaches by the Premier League
- La Liga president Javier Tebas advocated for the strictest sanctions at the FIFPRO performance summit in London
- Manchester City plan to appeal the verdict from the eight-week hearing held in late 2024
Tebas Demands Exemplary Action from Premier League
Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, has urged the Premier League to impose the toughest possible sanctions on Manchester City following revelations last Friday that the club had been found guilty on all but one of 114 alleged financial breaches. Tebas expressed a firm stance at the FIFPRO performance summit in London, indicating that an exemplary punishment is necessary to uphold the competition’s integrity.
⚔️Tebas ataca al City: “Decirlo tuvo consecuencias”
💉El presidente de LaLiga recuerda que fue de los primeros en denunciar al club inglés por “dopaje financiero” pic.twitter.com/f2gcDv91yz
— Diario AS (@diarioas) September 27, 2026
During his remarks, Tebas stated: “I don’t know the exact rules, but I believe it should be the strictest punishment in the Premier League regulations regarding this matter. It should be a punishment intended to set an example.” Emphasising the seriousness of repeated infractions spanning more than a decade, he continued: “And violating the rules for over 10 years – no matter how minor the infractions – is a very serious matter. Therefore it has to be a severe punishment for the non-compliance. Not just to set an example, but because the rules were broken.”
Tebas also reflected on the broader implications for European football, pointing out the significance of the verdict and the so-called ‘Manchester effect’ felt across the continent. He remarked: “What’s happened is hugely significant and hopefully marks a turning point, not just for the Premier League but for European football as a whole because the ‘Manchester effect’ was felt right across Europe.”
Recap of the Premier League Case and City’s Response
The Premier League’s findings come after an eight-week hearing that concluded in late 2024. Manchester City, who have consistently denied the allegations, are set to appeal the decision. The club was previously successful in overturning a two-year UEFA ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) six years ago.
UEFA Case and Calls for Re-examination
In response to the Premier League ruling, Tebas suggested the need to revisit the CAS’s previous decisions regarding UEFA’s sanctions against Manchester City. He commented: “In my opinion, the CAS decisions should be re-examined, specifically when they cleared City, or rather lifted the sanction UEFA had imposed, because those sanctions were lifted in a very questionable manner.” Furthermore, Tebas noted the recent findings lent credibility to UEFA’s earlier stance: “And now it has been proven that UEFA was right regarding the sanctions against Manchester City.”
Manchester City Leadership Reaction
Ferran Soriano and Khaldoon Al Mubarak, two senior representatives from Manchester City, have both addressed the recent media coverage, suggesting that the legal process remains far from resolution, with the club intending to contest the verdict through formal appeal channels.
