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What are Manchester City's 115 charges? 'Guilty' verdict puts nine trophies in focus
Manchester City face a major appeal after 114 guilty findings, while possible changes to their nine trophies remain undecided.
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Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League charges brought against them, according to reports from The Athletic and Reuters. The charges relate to alleged financial rule breaches between 2009 and 2018. City have denied the allegations and are expected to appeal. No punishment has been decided yet, so there is no confirmation that any trophies will be taken away.
However, if honors are later stripped, nine pieces of silverware won during the period could come under review, including three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three League Cups and two Community Shields.
Sergio Aguero and Manchester City’s 2012 Premier League title
The 2012 Premier League title is among the honours that could be affected if the club is eventually stripped of titles. Manchester City won it after Sergio Aguero scored the famous late winner against Queens Park Rangers on the final day.
Manchester United finished second that season on goal difference. If the title were removed from City and reassigned, United could be involved in any retrospective change, but such a decision has not been made.
City also won the Premier League in 2014 and 2018 during the period covered by the charges. Liverpool finished second in 2014, while Manchester United were runners-up in 2018.
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Yaya Toure, Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger’s League Cup links
Manchester City won the FA Cup in 2011 after beating Stoke City at Wembley, with Yaya Toure scoring the only goal.
The club also won three League Cups during the period. Sunderland lost to City in the 2014 final, while Liverpool were beaten on penalties after a draw in the 2016 final. City then defeated Arsenal in the 2018 final.
That means Sunderland, Liverpool and Arsenal were the losing finalists in those games. However, a stripped trophy would not automatically be handed to the runners-up. Any change to the honors would depend on the final sanction and the rules applied.
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Manchester City Community Shield titles and what happens next
City won the Community Shield in 2012 after beating Chelsea. They also defeated Chelsea in the 2018 edition. Those two trophies are also part of the nine honours that could potentially be reviewed.
The independent commission has decided the guilt findings, but the sanctions have not yet been announced. Reuters reported that City are expected to appeal. The club said the “Premier League process remains ongoing with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality”.
The Premier League has not commented on the reported verdict. Until the punishment and any appeal are completed, none of the nine trophies can be described as officially stripped.
