Former Manchester City chairman calls for harsh punishment if all 115 charges are upheld

There's one line that sums up the earthquake: "money isn't enough." Those were the words of David Bernstein, Manchester City's former chairman, spoken just as the news many had feared for months started to leak out.

A source confirmed to ESPN that Manchester City is set to be found guilty on the vast majority of the 115 charges for breaching Premier League financial rules. The club, for its part, did not deny those guilty verdicts in a statement, though it insisted the process "remains ongoing." The Premier League, when contacted by ESPN, declined to comment, citing the "private and confidential nature" of the process.

It's worth putting this in context: the charges date back to the 2009-10 season. In the years since, City built a golden era stacked with trophies, the very same era now under a cloud of suspicion.

Just another fan, even if it hurts

Bernstein, who served as club chairman from 1998 to 2003, spoke not as an executive but as a supporter, and it showed. Speaking on Times Radio, he described learning the news as a genuine emotional blow:

"I felt awful, I was in shock yesterday, honestly. I think I was invited onto the program because of my time as chairman of City and of the FA, but deep down I'm a Manchester City fan, and I've been one for 70 years."David Bernstein

Bernstein recalled that he helped steer the club out of a difficult period and toward better days, which is why it hurts so much to see that successful era now "tainted." He said he felt particular sympathy for the fans who stuck with the team "through thick and thin," calling it "a pretty grim day for Manchester City's blue half."

Still, the sharpest moment came when he was asked what an appropriate punishment would look like. Bernstein made clear he couldn't weigh in on the specific sanction, but he did leave a warning:

"If it's confirmed, after appeal, that they're guilty on all 115 charges, my beloved club is going to face a very severe penalty. All I can say is that money isn't enough, unfortunately it would have to be something more drastic than that."David Bernstein

The appeal: a race against the clock

As expected, City would appeal the ruling, and on that point Bernstein was insistent: the process needs to be resolved quickly. "This process has already gone on for too long," he said, making clear that playing under that cloud "isn't viable" for the club. He warned that if the appeal drags on "year after year" it would be a disaster, not just for this particular case but for English football as a whole.

Politics got involved too. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called the case "unsettling" for football fans and called for a swift resolution. According to the BBC, Nandy noted that the investigation traces back to allegations starting in 2009, that there is still a way to go, and that City continues to dispute the charges. She was firm on one point: fans need to know that the rules are applied "fairly and consistently" and that the correct decision is reached.

Meanwhile, Nigel Huddleston, who served as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport between 2025 and 2026, wrote on X that the next steps must be handled "in an accelerated and more transparent way," or else risk further damaging the reputation and integrity of English football, as well as causing "unnecessary anxiety" among millions of fans.