Rival clubs want range of punishments for Man City

Several top-tier Premier League clubs are advocating for a combination of retrospective penalties and future sanctions against Manchester City following their conviction for violating financial regulations from 2009-10 to 2017-18. The independent commission found City guilty of all charges, but the team has appealed the verdict.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is also examining the case to assess potential misconduct. However, there is a consensus among certain top-flight club executives that if City's appeal fails, the sanctions should address reparations for the period when they broke the rules and limit their powers in the future. At least four Premier League boardrooms believe a single-point deduction leading to relegation to the Championship would be inadequate given the severity of City's wrongdoing.

Club sources suggest City should forfeit their titles and championship status, although there is no immediate push to redistribute trophies. Some clubs are concerned that a single-season sanction would only serve as a "bump in the road" for City, and therefore propose spreading points deductions over multiple seasons and imposing transfer bans for several windows.

There is also a proposal to use a "tariff-based system" where City's past league finishes would be altered via points deductions, with rival clubs receiving compensation based on where they would have finished. Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca will address his team after their international duty before their upcoming match against Liverpool, which is their first game since the verdict was announced.

Merseyside Police are preparing an appropriate policing operation for the match, but no extra measures beyond what is customary for home games are planned.