The Tribune

If you weren’t paying much attention to soccer developments in Europe, you might check on line and find that in the most powerful men’s soccer league in the world (the English Premier League) and the most powerful women’s soccer league in the world (the Women’s Super League, also in England), the same powerhouse club is in first place in both leagues.  Neither the men nor the women have been defeated nor tied so far in this 2026-27 season that began in August.

But all of this has suddenly been put at risk in the last fortnight.

This same English club has won an astounding six of the past nine EPL championships, including four in a row at one point.  The women’s team won the WSL title for only the second time last season, but boasts the three-time defending scoring champion.  And the men’s team has featured the top EPL scorer in three of the past four seasons.

This particular club has also established a powerful network of affiliates in other national leagues, including in New York City.  The club’s network also includes teams in Australia, Spain, Italy, France, Brazil, Uruguay, Belgium and China.  It has strong financial backing and its coaches and academies are all highly-rated. 

Seems like quite a juggernaut, especially when considering that the EPL and WSL are by far the strongest and most influential leagues in world soccer and are widely regarded as the most relatively competitive, top to bottom. 

So, on this generally sunny horizon, why are dark storm clouds gathering?  And what happened on Sunday afternoon that may have changed a narrative?

The storm clouds are rapidly thickening around the present and future of Manchester City Football Club, which in the past 15 years has unhorsed long-time English titlist and cross-town rival Manchester United, a club whose world renown is rivaled only by Real Madrid and perhaps Barcelona. 

Indeed, in neither the men’s nor the women’s game is Man U presently able to offer any real competition for City.  Manchester City sits at the pinnacle of the sport.

The gathering storm clouds are solely caused by what is now regarded as the most sweeping indictment of a member club by any sports organization in any sport in the history of sport.  Two weeks ago, the EPL handed down a lengthy report by independent experts and consultants that found that Man City was guilty of 114 out of 115 charges of rules-breaking and wrongdoing.

As the result of a comprehensive, multi-year investigation, the EPL found that City  vastly overstated how much they were earning, via phony sponsorships, payments off the books, and other miscellaneous financial skullduggery.  The total estimated fraud was an eye-popping $1.19 billion.

This is important because EPL rules don’t allow rich owners to just pump unlimited personal cash into a club. Instead of a salary cap such as exists in all major American sports except baseball, the EPL limits clubs’ spending to a percentage of what their teams actually earn.  By inflating the club’s revenue, City’s wealthy Abu Dhabi-based owners were able to report enough revenue to enable them to recruit and pay some of the world’s most accomplished, high-earning players – all seemingly within the EPL rules. 

Now, however, within the past two weeks, City have been condemned as cheats and accused by Premier League CEO Richard Masters of "systemically breaking rules for almost a decade."  The period in question for the 114 rules infractions is 2009-2018.

Only three of Manchester City men’s eight EPL titles were earned during that 11-year period.  But all of the subsequent success would be at the very least tainted if the club’s appeals are denied, because their great, sustained success would have been based on the cheating and duplicitous conduct of the club for many years previously.

No one can recall such a thorough indictment of one of its members by the ruling body in the modern history of any sport in the world.

So, what happens now? 

First, Man City has of course appealed the judgement.  The team and its owners have maintained throughout this multi-year investigation that they have done nothing wrong.  They continue to assert their innocence.  If they win on appeal, then Manchester City will likely continue on their present path to continuing predominance in both the men’s and women’s games. 

The women’s game in soccer, by the way, is growing rapidly in popularity.  The American women have for many years far outpaced their male counterparts, winning championships and Olympic gold medals while the men struggled to achieve relative mediocrity on the world soccer stage.

In the UK, many of the Womens’ Super League teams now play many or all of their home games in the much bigger men’s stadiums, and attendance is rising.  So are payrolls. 

The City women have started strongly in 2026, but Chelsea are close behind.  The City men have started strongly in 2026, but defending champion Arsenal lurks close behind.  It won’t be easy for City teams to win this season.

But it won’t be possible at all if the club’s appeal is denied or only results in some reduction in the penalties that many expect are coming.

What might those penalties be?

1.City’s many titles from the era covering 2009 to the present could all potentially be stripped from the club.  In addition to their EPL crowns, the team has won numerous FA and League Cup titles and the 2022-23 Champions League title. 

2.The club could be hit with massive fines by the EPL, and potentially also by UEFA, the body governing European soccer.  Given the vast wealth of the club’s owners, however, many pundits are minimizing the possible impact of such fines. 

3.City could be banned from player transfers for a period of time.  Almost all player movements occur during the months of January and June-August.  Doing business during these annual ‘transfer windows’ could be denied to City for months or even years.

4.The club could face points deduction penalties that could be so severe that the team would be ‘relegated’ to a lower division.  At a minimum, City’s hopes for another title this year could be extinguished.

5.Finally, the Abu Dhabi owners could be forced to sell the team.

Any and potentially all of these penalties are reportedly under consideration by the EPL.  This monster sports story has even spread to Number 10 Downing Street, where current British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has found himself in the spotlight for his allegiance to City.  Burnham previously served as mayor of Manchester. 

While all of this has been happening, City’s men’s team returned from the EPL’s first ‘international break’ of this season on Sunday to play at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.  The buildup to the game was particularly sharp, because Liverpool has probably been City’s most dangerous rival during the past 17 years. 

City’s mens’ matches with Liverpool were the most significant contests in many recent seasons, and these two titans were separated by two points or less at the end of several seasons.  Security was intense when City’s team bus arrived at Anfield earlier this week.

Both teams are playing under new managers this year.  Former City assistant Enzo Maresca has taken over from his mentor Pep Guardiola, who might be the best 21st Century coach in world soccer.  At Anfield, former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has taken the reins long held by legendary German coach Jurgen Klopp.

Both teams featured expensive stars acquired over the summer.  After a scoreless first 60 minutes, though, City netted three times to register an emphatic win that foretold continued on-field success.

Soccer fans everywhere are flummoxed about how to react. Vilify City’s criminality or admire their soccer brilliance?

Manchester City skulked into Anfield on Sunday through the back door, but strutted out of the front at the end of a day when their defiance silenced Liverpool's indignation. They have become the most unpopular team in Premier League history but, for now, they are riding the storm.

Yet as they celebrated a 3-0 victory on the pitch at the end of the game, the City players did so to the tune of "Little Lies" by Fleetwood Mac -- a song played without subtlety by the Anfield DJ.

Enzo Maresca's team may have won the points, but hearts and minds? Forget it.