Man City FFP: Ally McCoist rules out one ‘very harsh’ punishment for Guardiola’s side ‘if found guilty’
Pundit Ally McCoist has ruled out one “very harsh” punishment if Manchester City are “found guilty” of breaching the Premier League’s FFP rules.
At the start of 2023, Man City were charged with breaching over 100 of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules. They were referred to an independent commission following a four-year probe into their conduct between 2009 and 2018.
This case has already dragged on for too long, but this prolonged process is nearing a conclusion as the initial hearing finished towards the end of 2024. It’s since been reported that the verdict could be announced in March.
It remains to be seen whether the verdict will be in Man City or the Premier League’s favour. But if the club is found guilty, they could be given a huge fine, points deduction, transfer ban or expulsion from the English top division.
McCoist had to deal with an expulsion at Rangers and found the “experience really enjoyable”. However, he reckons “demotion” to a lower league, as he claims it was with the Scottish giants, would be “very harsh” on Man City.
“If they are guilty of all the crimes and the Premier League find a punishment that is fitting… I say crimes, offences. Although some football fans would consider them crimes!” McCoist said in an interview with GOAL.
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“I’m not going to sit and pre-judge them. However, if they are found guilty of breaking rules and committing these offences, then the punishment should fit the offence.
“Whether that is getting demoted down to a lower league, I’m not sure. I still believe that it was a very, very harsh thing to do to my football club and I’m not sure anybody benefited from it. Well, certainly clubs down the lower leagues did, when we were turning up to Peterhead and Elgin and the places were sold out.
“As much as it was an experience I will never forget and a really enjoyable one, I’m not sure the punishment fitted the crime. I’m not sure what punishment should be dealt to Manchester City if, and it’s a big if, they are found guilty.”
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Despite this, McCoist is insistent that Man City are “not too big” to receive a worthwhile punishment as “you can’t make special cases”.
“No, I don’t think [Man City are too important to the Premier League to be hit with the harshest of penalties],” McCoist added.
“I don’t think anybody is. However, in saying that, you can’t make special cases. If Man United did the same offence, everyone has to be treated the same.
“I remember a few years back in Serie A, Juventus got found guilty of cheating. To me that’s the biggest crime you can get in sport. That was a case where you thought maybe the punishment wasn’t as strict as it should have been. They dropped down a division for a year, into Serie B.
“When you look at what happens with other clubs – I know it’s a different association and all that, you have to find something in between. There is no bigger crime than cheating.
“Some people might tell me that if Manchester City are found guilty of these offences, that is a form of cheating, but that’s an argument in itself. They are certainly not too big to get the punishment that would come their way if they were found guilty.”
