Manchester City's battle with the Premier League is far from over, but some of their rivals are already preparing for the possibility of a league without Pep Guardiola's side next season. City have appealed the guilty verdict against them, yet the mood among other Premier League clubs suggests that another major confrontation could be coming if that appeal fails.
According to Sky Sports, figures at rival clubs do not expect Manchester City to be playing in the Premier League next season if the original decision is upheld. Some also believe that simply relegating City for one season would not represent a sufficient punishment given the scale and duration of the breaches found by the independent commission.
Why are Premier League clubs talking about City being expelled?
The crucial point is that City's punishment has not yet reached its final form. The club has challenged the commission's findings and insists that the decision contains errors of both law and fact, meaning the outcome of the appeal could dramatically change what happens next.
If City fail to overturn the verdict, however, the conversation will move back towards sanctions. Rival clubs cited by Sky Sports believe a conventional points deduction may not adequately reflect the seriousness of the case, which is why the possibility of City spending next season outside the Premier League has become such a major talking point.
There is an important distinction between relegation as a sporting sanction and formal expulsion from the competition. Under Premier League rules, expelling a member club would require support from at least three-quarters of the league's clubs — 15 of the 20 — so City's rivals could ultimately have a direct role if matters ever reached that stage.
That does not mean Manchester City have already been expelled or that relegation is guaranteed. The appeal remains unresolved, and until that process is completed there is no final answer on where City will play next season.
Why one season outside the Premier League might not satisfy their rivals
The reported mood among clubs is particularly significant because some executives apparently believe a single season outside the Premier League could be too lenient. The argument is that City could potentially dominate the Championship, immediately win promotion and return one year later with much of their sporting and financial strength intact.
That position is likely to intensify the debate over what constitutes a proportionate punishment. City's case is unprecedented in the Premier League era in terms of its scale, and there is no straightforward historical template telling the league exactly what should happen if the appeal confirms the most serious findings against the club.
The reaction outside the boardrooms has already been fierce as well. Jesse Marsch, the former Leeds United manager and current Canada coach, has called for City to be punished "to the fullest extent" and said he believes they should be relegated to the lowest division. Other prominent figures in English football have also questioned whether titles, medals and previous results can simply be separated from the breaches established by the commission.
We will look separately at how players, managers and former stars have reacted to the verdict, because the response across football has quickly developed into a story of its own.
City are fighting back
Manchester City have shown no indication that they intend to accept the verdict quietly. Their appeal challenges the commission's conclusions, and the club maintains that serious errors were made in reaching the decision.
That means the most extreme scenarios remain exactly that for now: scenarios. City have not been relegated, their Premier League membership has not been terminated, and rival clubs cannot simply vote tomorrow to remove them because they want a harsher punishment.
What has changed is the atmosphere around the case. Before the verdict, relegation and expulsion were largely hypothetical questions surrounding a legal process that had dragged on for years; now rival Premier League clubs are reportedly discussing what should actually happen if City's appeal fails.
The timing adds another layer to the story, with Manchester City due to visit Liverpool at Anfield on October 11 for their first Premier League match since the verdict. The reception is expected to be hostile, but the much bigger battle is taking place away from the pitch: City are fighting to overturn a decision that could ultimately determine whether they are playing Premier League football at all next season.
Published by Patrick Jane
05.10.2026