"I would first of all say that financial penalties will not be enough," David Bernstein told dailymail.com. The former Manchester City chairman also said a fine of £100m or £200m would not be sufficient, and argued that any serious sanction could have to hit the club's league status.
Bernstein's case for a stronger sanction
Bernstein said a terminal points deduction today could require about 80 points and would mean City would go down. He added that if the decision came at the end of the season, after appeals, "you may be talking about an automatic relegation - to which division I don't know."
City were found guilty of the vast majority of 115 charges, according to the reporting in the source articles. Bernstein's view is hard to dismiss when you set it against City's current season, where they sit top of the Premier League with 15 points from 5 games and have won their last 5 league matches.
Why the punishment debate has widened
Jeremy Corbyn also called for a significant points deduction, relegation, a substantial fine and possible title stripping. Javier Tebas, meanwhile, said the process is not over and the sanction remains unknown.
That leaves the club in an awkward place. City finished 2nd in the 2025 Premier League with 78 points last season, but the punishment being discussed by critics is far beyond a normal fine and, by Bernstein's own calculation, could have to change the club's league status before the case is really seen to be settled.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
