In the early hours of September 30, the Premier League officially announced that Man City had been found guilty of numerous charges. On the UK media program talkSPORT, renowned journalist Ben Jacobs analyzed the potential penalties Man City could face. He stated that, given the severity of the Premier League's announcement, Man City would likely face significant point deductions or even expulsion from the Premier League.

Host introduces the topic

As we speak, two statements have been released, one of them from Man City. I will read that statement shortly. The first was issued by Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters.

His statement, and that of the Premier League, reads as follows: The tribunal's decision confirms the facts of events at Man City Football Club during this period, detailing how the club systematically breached Premier League rules for nearly a decade, which also proves the Premier League's decision to bring this action against Man City was correct.

Although the process to date has been long and arduous, the league has always insisted on an independent determination of the facts. This disciplinary case and its ruling are the most significant in Premier League history, with parts of the case still awaiting resolution, and importantly, what sanctions must be applied following these breaches.

That was the statement from Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters. Immediately following that, Man City has just issued the following statement. The statement reads that Man City Football Club is both disappointed and surprised by the Premier League Commission's ruling announced today.

The club maintains its innocence in the face of the Premier League's allegations and has substantial, irrefutable evidence to support all its positions related to this case. Therefore, the club will relentlessly pursue all appropriate regulatory and legal avenues, and will take proactive action where necessary. The Premier League's process is ongoing, and key stages have yet to be completed.

Clearly, Man City will come out fighting hard, and that's what their statement expresses. I'll get your thoughts on that shortly, but let's go back to the first statement I read from Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters. Bearing that in mind, bearing in mind what he says about this being the most significant ruling in Premier League history, you might also consider the possibility I mentioned, that other clubs could sue for lost revenue due to failing to qualify for European competitions, failing to win certain trophies, and so on.

How severe do you think the actual punishment for Man City will be?

Journalist Ben Jacobs analyzes the potential penalties for Man City

For Man City, this will be a significant punishment, because the Premier League now has the ruling, and the independent commission is on their side. Remember, once it gets to the stage of the penalty or sanction hearing, the Premier League can dictate the specifics of the punishment. Especially for Richard Masters, putting any appeals aside, his reputation in handling this matter will arguably depend more on the final outcome of the punishment than just a basic finding of guilt.

This is because if it ends with a lighter sanction, the Premier League clubs will not be satisfied, public perception will be very poor, rival fans and clubs will be angry, and there may be little or no avenue for compensation. The reality is that among the different levels of punishment, only two can be considered severe: expulsion from the league, or a heavy points deduction that effectively leads to Man City's relegation.

Transfer bans are useless – Man City has already spent a lot of money on players; fines are also useless – they have plenty of money; warnings are even more ineffective. Therefore, only a truly severe points deduction or expulsion from the Premier League would justify the time and cost spent on this process. Remember also that other Premier League clubs are incurring legal fees because they contribute to the central fund.

This is why, for the Premier League's performance in handling this matter, the punishment will naturally be more important than the ruling. But I must add, if you read Man City's statement, it's very clear: if they can appeal, they will appeal. So we may need to be patient, because if they appeal on October 2, and the Premier League statement tells us that no sanction hearing has been held yet, then the October 2 appeal is against the ruling, not the punishment. As far as I know, if they appeal the ruling, the process cannot directly proceed to the punishment phase. Therefore, even though the Premier League intends to conclude this case with the punishment before the end of this season, we may have to wait several more months, or even years.

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