Manchester City’s long-running financial case has raised a new question across English football: how much money might rival clubs have lost as a result of the financial advantages the club gained during the period covered by the Premier League investigation?
An analysis by BBC Sport estimates that Manchester City’s conduct could have cost other Premier League clubs a combined £799.5 million in potential domestic prize money, relegation-related income, Champions League earnings and cup revenue.
The calculation comes after an independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to serious financial-rule breaches between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. City has denied wrongdoing and has appealed the decision.
City’s Financial Advantage
The Premier League's independent commission found that Manchester City used what it described as “sham” commercial agreements to artificially increase reported revenue and reduce costs.
According to the commission, the arrangements affected more than £900 million over the nine-season period. It also found that City submitted misstated accounts, concealed the true state of its finances from auditors and football regulators, and significantly breached Premier League and UEFA spending limits.
The commission concluded that City had intended to circumvent Premier League rules.
City has rejected the findings and is challenging the verdict through an appeal process.
How Much Could Other Clubs Have Lost?
BBC Sport examined the possible financial consequences for clubs that competed against City during the affected period.
Its analysis estimates the potential loss to other clubs at £799.5 million.
The figure is divided into several areas:
- £188.2 million in Premier League placing money
- £349.7 million in relegation-related costs
- £217.8 million in potential missed Champions League prize money
- £43.8 million linked to domestic cup competitions
The calculation is not a claim that every pound represents an established legal loss. Instead, BBC Sport describes it as an assessment of the potential financial impact of a different competitive landscape without City's alleged financial advantage.
Manchester City Received £1.17 Billion
While other clubs could potentially have lost hundreds of millions, BBC Sport calculated that Manchester City themselves received approximately £1.17 billion in prize and broadcast-related income across the competitions considered.
That included:
- £812.3 million from Premier League prize money and broadcast revenues
- £363.4 million from the Champions League
- £900,000 from an FA Cup victory
- £300,000 from three EFL Cup victories
The figures illustrate the financial consequences that can follow sporting success. Finishing higher in the Premier League brings additional prize money, while qualification for European competitions provides another significant source of revenue.
Tottenham Could Have Lost Almost £120 Million
One of the clearest examples identified in the analysis involves Tottenham Hotspur.
BBC Sport estimates that Tottenham's potential financial shortfall could have reached approximately £119.9 million when Premier League positions, Champions League qualification and domestic and European competitions are taken into account.
Tottenham finished behind City six times during the relevant period and finished one place outside the Champions League qualification positions on four occasions in seasons considered in the analysis.
In those seasons, City benefited from Champions League participation while Tottenham received lower European competition revenues.
One particularly significant example came in the 2014-15 season.
City finished second in the Premier League, while Tottenham finished fifth. City subsequently earned approximately £71.2 million from their Champions League campaign, while Tottenham received about £17.7 million from the Europa League.
That created an estimated difference of £53.5 million for that season alone.
Relegation Had the Biggest Financial Impact
The BBC analysis estimates that £349.7 million of the potential financial impact came from relegation-related costs.
The calculation considers clubs that could have remained in the Premier League in a hypothetical scenario where Manchester City's financial advantage had not existed.
Relegation can have a much greater financial impact than the immediate difference between two league positions because a club can lose Premier League broadcasting and commercial income for subsequent seasons.
However, BBC Sport stressed that the exercise does not establish that a particular club would definitely have avoided relegation without City's presence or financial advantage.
It is instead a calculation of the possible financial consequences based on alternative league outcomes.
The Champions League Effect
European qualification represents another major part of the calculation.
Manchester City's consistent presence in the Champions League meant that clubs finishing immediately behind them could miss out on Europe's most lucrative club competition.
BBC Sport estimates that this potentially accounted for £217.8 million in lost Champions League-related revenue for other clubs.
The calculation compares City's subsequent Champions League earnings with the Europa League income received by clubs that might otherwise have qualified for the Champions League.
Again, the analysis does not claim that those alternative outcomes would definitely have occurred.
City’s Success Changed the Financial Landscape
Manchester City's transformation began after Sheikh Mansour's takeover in 2008.
Before the takeover, City had experienced periods of instability and had not established itself as a consistent top-four Premier League club.
The subsequent investment helped transform the club into one of England's dominant teams.
City won multiple Premier League titles and became a regular participant in European competition during the period examined by the Premier League investigation.
The independent commission has now found that the club breached financial rules during nine seasons, although City continues to dispute the findings and has appealed.
What Happens Next?
The financial calculations do not themselves determine whether other clubs are entitled to compensation.
The Premier League case remains subject to City's appeal, while any sanctions arising from the commission's findings are being dealt with separately.
Potential sanctions reported in connection with the case range from financial penalties and points deductions to much more severe sporting consequences, although the final outcome remains subject to the legal process.
The broader question of compensation for rival clubs is also separate from the Premier League's disciplinary proceedings.
For now, the BBC's analysis provides an estimate of what may have been at stake financially: Manchester City generated about £1.17 billion in relevant competition income, while other clubs could have been collectively deprived of around £799.5 million in potential earnings.
Those figures illustrate why the case extends beyond questions about Manchester City's own trophies and financial records. The consequences potentially reach clubs across the English football pyramid whose league positions, European qualification and Premier League status were affected by the competitive environment during the period under investigation.
