(Credit: Imago)

James Murray

Tue 17 March 2026 14:43, UK

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Chelsea’s punishment has set a “precedent” for Manchester City if their long-awaited 115 charges verdict goes against them. 

Chelsea have been handed a £10million fine and a suspended transfer ban after admitting to making £47m worth of secret payments to agents and third-parties linked to deals between 2011 and 2018 when Roman Abramovich was in charge.

The Blues also received an immediate nine-month academy transfer ban and a further £750,000 fine due to offences committed between 2019 and 2022.

However, the London giants have avoided a sporting sanction, leading to questions around what the verdict could mean for Man City’s 115 charges case. 

What Chelsea’s verdict could mean for Man City’s 115 charges

Man City were dealt the charges by the Premier League in February 2023 for allegedly breaching the financial fair play (FFP) rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. 

Pep Guardiola’s side are alleged to have concealed payments through third parties by disguising them as sponsorship revenue.

An independent commission hearing started in September 2024 and ended in December that same year, with the panel still considering its verdict. 

Chelsea faced a potential points deduction for their financial breaches, but that hasn’t proven to be the case.

Reacting to the Blues’ punishment, finance expert Stefan Borson said the penalty is “extremely lenient” and that it raises “serious questions” around the Premier League’s approach. 

He believes it’s a “very useful precedent” for Man City in the “worst-case scenario” once their 115 charges verdict is delivered. 

How Chelsea escaped points deduction after punishment revealed

It has been revealed Man City are facing expulsion from the Premier League due to the seriousness of the charges.

However, the initial verdict is only expected to be based around liability, with a sanction hearing to follow depending on the outcome. 

There could also be a lengthy appeal process if any of the parties decide to challenge the panel’s ruling.

Man City’s lawyers will no doubt be poring through the documents around Chelsea’s penalty in preparation for the worst-case scenario in the 115 charges case.

The Blues’ secret payments were made around the transfers of Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o, Willian, Ramires, David Luiz, Andre Schurrle and Nemanja Matic. 

The transactions were discovered during BlueCo’s takeover from Abramovich in 2022, leading to Chelsea self-reporting themselves to the Premier League, Uefa and the FA.

That openness from the current ownership group appears to be a key factor behind the club avoiding a points deduction.