Manchester City's punishment process is still not settled, and the people who frame the league's recommendation matter as much as the final commission. The Premier League board is made up of the chair, chief executive and three independent non-executive directors, with no club representatives included. BBC Sport says that group will help shape the league's line, even though the sanction itself still has to be decided.
Brittain and Masters at the centre
Alison Brittain became the Premier League's first female chair almost four years ago and received unanimous backing from the 20 clubs in 2025 for a second three-year stint. Her own description of the role is telling. Speaking to BBC Sport, she said: "Absolutely. That's my job."
That sits alongside Richard Masters's view of the league's enforcement role. In comments to BBC Sport, he said the commission's core decision "vindicates the Premier League's decision to pursue this case" and that there are still "elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches." The league wants certainty, but it does not have the final word.
Past sanctions and City's case
BBC Sport also points to three recent disciplinary cases where the Premier League argued for heavier punishment than the commission recommended. The league wanted a 12-point sanction for Everton in 2023, an eight-point deduction for Nottingham Forest in 2024, and a 12-point Championship deduction for Leicester City this year, but the commission went lighter each time.
That history is why the board's view matters, yet it is not a clean template for Manchester City. BBC Sport says this case is unique in scale, so those earlier rulings may not translate directly. City are second in the Premier League with 21 points from 9 matches and a +10 goal difference, and they go away to Nottingham Forest on 2026-11-07 17:30:00+00 while the sanction process is still unresolved.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
