There is something deeply satisfying about seeing the bad guys get their comeuppance. Whether it’s the real-life boogeymen of To Catch a Predator or the fictional villains of the John Wick universe: we all love to see the bad guy get what’s coming to them.
And it looks like Manchester City- the de facto Galactic Empire of world football- are about to get what’s coming to them. The footballing world was shaken to its core last week, as news filtered out that Man City has been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges that had been laid against them. It was a moment of sweet vindication for those who instinctively knew there was something inorganic about the way City had bulldozed their way to success (though how else are you going to do it?).
Only the beginning
The appeals process has already begun, and this will most certainly not be the end of the matter. But provided most of the charges were to stick, what level of punishment are City looking at? Everton and Forest received six and four-point reductions for single offences over a three-year spell. What do you do for 114 offences over nine years? I think a huge points deduction and demotion are almost a certainty at this point (as well as mammoth fines). Most of the primary financial violations occurred between 2009-2018. However, 35 of the charges pertain to the club’s refusal to cooperate between the years 2018 and 2023. Hey, at least City will have the chance to match Leicester City’s eight 2nd division titles. That’s something.
The nitty-gritty
But can City be stripped of their titles? And can those titles be reclaimed by other clubs? There is some precedent for losing titles, as Juve were stripped of back-to-back Serie A titles following the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal. The great likelihood is that it won’t come to that, and rival fans will just have to play the asterisk game. There is almost an invisible ethical line between ‘financial doping’ and actual manipulation of results (underperformance, cheating, Hansie, etc). But for the sake of entertainment, I thought I would compile a list of all the teams that have finished runner-up to football’s Lance Armstrong since 2009.
Reparations
As you will see, I’m not constraining myself to the years 2009-2018 (the specific years of the Premier League’s inquiry). Many legal experts have pointed to the fact that subsequent titles were built on the back of those fraudulently earned honours. So, I’m counting every season since the infractions began. I’m also going to include major honours outside of the Premier League’s purview (Champions League, etc). So, here is my list of the eleven clubs that would win honours were City to hand over their trophies won in the Mansour era (I’m excluding the Community Shield). I’m going in ascending order of trophies due.
Teams that would win one Trophy
Sunderland (2013/14 League Cup)
These English domestic trophies full me with the most rage. Just imagine what one of these domestic cups would mean for some of these clubs. Victory in the 2013/14 FA Cup final would have secured Sunderland their first piece of major silverware since 1973. What makes this runner-up finish more galling is the fact that Tyne-Wear rivals Newcastle would go on to win the trophy in 2025.
Chelsea (2018/19 League Cup)
I was surprised to learn that Chelsea would only add one trophy to their cabinet were City to be eliminated from memory. I think the Blues are sitting back and waiting for the storm to pass, fully aware that their two Champions League titles may come into question if they were put under the same microscope.
Aston Villa (2019/20 League Cup)
Prior to last season’s Europa League title, Villa’s last piece of silverware came all the way back in the 1996 English League Cup. This 2019/2020 League Cup title would make a lovely addition to their trophy cabinet.
Stoke City (2010/11 FA Cup)
This is essentially the original sin; the first trophy won under Mansour’s controversial ownership. What a reward this would have been for Tony Pulis and his strongarm tactics.
Watford (2018/19 FA Cup)
Do it for Elton John. The Rocketman’s beloved Watford are yet to win a major league or cup title in their history. The league could serenade Watford with “you can tell everybody, that this cup’s for you”. Sorry.
Sevilla (2023 UEFA Super Cup)
Seven-time Europa League/UEFA Cup winners Sevilla would add to their impressive European pedigree if City’s trophies were reversed, securing a 2nd UEFA Super Cup in 2023.
Fluminense (2023 FIFA Club World Cup)
It’s hard to really see FIFA- an organization mired in its own corruption issues- taking up the anti-City agenda. But if they were to strip City of their 2023 FIFA Club World Cup title and redistribute it, Fluminense would become the first non-European winners of this tournament since Corinthians in 2012.
Inter Milan (2022/23 Champions League)
The big one. This win entrenched City as an undeniable European heavyweight. They won Europe’s biggest crown before Arsenal, in the process becoming just the 2nd English club to complete the much-vaunted treble. Inter Milan would be crowed champions in the almost impossible case that UEFA stripped City of their title. It would have been Inter’s 4th European crown, pulling them within three titles of bitter city rivals AC Milan.
Teams that would win four Trophies
Arsenal (2019/20 and 2025/26 League Cups, 2022/23 and 2023/24 Prem Leagues)
Now we are getting to the big boys. You can already detect a considerable amount of frustration amongst the Arsenal fandom. If City were to be stripped of titles, they would probably only lose the ones between 2009-2018, prefiguring the rise of Arteta. The reigning champs would potentially see United and Liverpool extend their historical advantage with two trophies apiece. But for the sake of my personal tally, Arteta would now be a three-time Premier League title holder.
Liverpool (2015/16 League Cup and 2013/14, 2018/19 and 2021/22 Prem Leagues)
Brendan Rodgers must be praying for the Premier League to throw the proverbial book at City. Rodgers’ exciting, dynamic Liverpool side will always be remembered that capitulation at Selhurst Park and a certain Stevie G slip. Rodgers’ entire identity as a manager hinges on the 2013/2014 near-miss. Award that trophy to Liverpool, and his estimation as a manager is forever changed. Oh, and Klopp would be a three-time Premier League champ were the 2018/19 and 2021/22 titles reversed.
Manchester United (2022/23 FA Cup and 2011/12, 2017/18 and 2020/21 Prem Leagues)
Of all the sides who stand to benefit from City’s wrongdoings, Man Utd are the ones who could gain the most. I’m not just talking about pure numbers here. There’s something more direct, more primal at play. Revenge. The last 15 years of United’s existence have been characterized by post-Fergie trauma. City’s rise from ‘noisy neighbours’ to the undoubted kings of Manchester has been a bitter pill for United fans to swallow. Can you imagine if they had these three Premier League titles restored? Mourinho and Solksjaer would be Premier League-winning managers! And Sir Alex Ferguison would have one more Premier League title to his name, negating the Aguerooooo moment while claiming a 50th major managerial honour.
