Gary Neville calls for Man City owners to be removed after 'industrial-level financial doping' verdict

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026.

Gary Neville has argued that removing Manchester City's owners from the Premier League is the only appropriate sanction, insisting that fines and points deductions on their own would not amount to justice. An independent commission found City guilty on the majority of 115 charges, concluding that the club used 'sham' contracts and 'disguised schemes' to inflate revenue by £830million over eight seasons. Neville said he is not celebrating but is 'chilled' by the ramifications for English football. City have until Friday 2 October to lodge an appeal.

The commission ruled City inflated club revenue by £830million through 'disguised schemes' covering the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons.

'This is chilling': Neville warned that 'industrial-level financial doping' of this scale demands the biggest possible consequence — owner removal.

Available penalties range from heavy fines and points deductions to expulsion from the top flight and the retrospective stripping of titles.