Senior figures worried about Man City being in next season's Champions League

Senior figures within the English game are concerned that Manchester City could play in the Champions League next season even if they are relegated for breaching financial regulations. Manchester City won the Champions League in 2023 with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan Senior figures within English football are concerned that Manchester City could play in the Champions League next season even if they are relegated from the Premier League for breaching financial regulations. It centres around the possibility that City win the Champions League, which would provide qualification for the competition as titleholders – regardless of their status in the English domestic pyramid. BBC Sport has been told that there is no automatic mechanism to remove City from a European competition they qualify for on sporting merit.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges related to inflating sponsorship revenue by £830m by using sham contracts, as well as hiding other expenses worth an additional £90m. Without this, the independent commission said, City would have failed the profit and sustainability rules in all nine seasons between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. City continue to strenuously deny any wrongdoing, calling the outcome a "Premier League conspiracy". Last week the club lodged an appeal against the verdict. BBC Sport has spoken to a number of senior figures within the game