Yasin Patel provides expert analysis on Manchester City ruling across leading national and international media

Church Court Chambers’ Yasin Patel has featured prominently across leading national and international media coverage of the Manchester City ruling, providing expert legal analysis to BBC News and Sport, Sky News, the Financial Times, The Telegraph, City AM, The Sun, the Daily Mirror, the Daily Star and The Athletic.

Yasin was also interviewed by BBC News, BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky News, where he examined the potential legal avenues available to Manchester City and the sanctions that could follow.

Speaking on the reported verdict, Yasin explained: “City’s lawyers will now analyse this decision and look at the options open to them to appeal, which may include procedural impropriety, wrongful interpretation of law, and legal errors – importantly, they can guarantee an appeal.

“Sanctions could include a major fine, points deduction, relegation or even all three. Factoring in whether titles and trophies should be stripped, whether other clubs have been robbed of further revenue and opportunities due to City’s wrongdoings and losses incurred, we safely say that this is only the first chapter of a long-running legal saga that will not end any time soon.”

Yasin also commented on the action of clubs could take against Manchester City, explaining: “Four teams have stated they will take legal action but other teams are likely to follow suit.

“In 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, Norwich and Hull finished 18th respectively. They could argue that, had the Premier League taken action, they may not have been relegated. This is a complex argument, but it illustrates how some clubs may seek compensation. If these two clubs were to make this argument, it could be said that Manchester City should not have to pay both as only one could possibly have benefitted had City been ultimately relegated.

“The clubs would have to prove that Man City’s alleged actions caused them to ultimately suffer losses due to relegation and the financial implications that followed. It would probably be easier for teams who were relegated to make this argument collectively rather than individually. The teams could also turn their wrath on the Premier League and argue that if they had done their investigations and subsequent hearings more expeditiously, then Manchester City would not have been able to continue in their actions.

“Other teams that may take actions could include those who lost out on European football, either because of Manchester City taking a Champions League spot, meaning that they ultimately were outside the European places, or because they missed out on Europe after failing to win cup competitions. In 2010-2011 and 2018-2019 this was Wigan and Watford: they too may seek compensation.

“Damages are hard to predict as we do not know many clubs will seek compensation, nor whether they will seek it solely from Manchester City or potentially from the Premier League as well, allegedly failing to properly discharge its duties.

“Everton were ordered to pay £3 e5million to Burnley in compensation for losses suffered due to Everton’s breach of Profit & sustainability Rules. The appeal is due to be heard in January. But that involves just one club. If we have 10 to 15 clubs seeking compensation, Manchester City could be looking at paying vast sums to other clubs in addition to all the legal costs that could follow.

“If the current situation relating to sanctions and Appeal can be finalised within this football season, it would be some achievement, as one would expect Manchester City’s appeal process to take some time.

“In relation to other clubs seeking compensation, we can safely say that unless some collective deal or agreement is reached, this will stretch well into 2027 and more likely, 2028.”

Yasin’s comments were published in the Financial Times, The Telegraph, BBC Sport, BBC World News, The Sun, the Daily Mirror, City AM, the Daily Star, Manchester Evening News, Yahoo! Sport and The New York Times’ The Athletic, 25 September 2025. Yasin also commented in the Daily Mirror, 1 October 2026.