Manchester City charged: What are the 7 harshest punishments in football history? | OneFootball

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·8 February 2023

Manchester City charged: What are the 7 harshest punishments in football history?

Article image:Manchester City charged: What are the 7 harshest punishments in football history?

Manchester City were hit with over 100 charges by the Premier League on Monday morning, all focused on the club's alleged breaching of financial rules.

The situation has been described as "unprecedented", with it being likely that the state of Man City, and even English football, will never be the same again.


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While it may take time, Man City are likely to face some form of punishment if proven guilty, which could range from a fine to expulsion from the Premier League.

What are the harshest fines in football history?

However, Man City definitely won't be the first club, should the alleged financial breaches be proved, to have faced a punishment within the footballing world.

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With fans waiting to see what City's potential punishment will end up looking like, GiveMeSport takes you through the seven harshest punishments that football clubs have ever faced, via The Sun.

7. Olympic Marseille

MARSEILLE, FRANCE - MARCH 20: Marseille player Chris Waddle celebrates after Marseille beat AC Milan with a goal by Waddle, to win the UEFA European Cup quarter final second leg match on March 20, 1991 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Getty Images)

The year after beating AC Milan to win the Champions League, Marseille were relegated to Ligue 2 after multiple Valenciennes FC players claim to have been bribed.

The punishments for Marseille were harsh, with the French side being stripped of its 1991-92 Ligue 1 title win, while the club's President, Bernard Tapie, was sent to prison for his involvement in the ordeal.

6. Calciopoli

Calcipoli, the biggest scandal that Italian football has ever seen, saw the likes of Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio charged with influencing decisions made by referees.

Juventus were hit the hardest though, being relegated to Serie B, and starting the season with minus nine points.

Although they all managed to keep their Serie A status, the three other clubs were also punished, being docked 30 points each as a result of what happened.

5. Nueva Chicago

Nueva Chicago faced Tigre in a relegation playoff in 2007, attempting to save themselves from being demoted to the second tier of Argentinian football.

Irate with being 3-1 down on aggregate, Nueva Chicago fans broke into the pitch, attacking both home and away players. One Tigre fan even died after being struck by a brick that was thrown during the ordeal.

Following the incident, Nueva Chicago were docked 18 points the next season and were banned from playing at home, all of which resulted in them being relegated again the following year.

4. Juventus

TURIN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Juan Cuadrado, Dejan Kulusevski, Alex Sandro, and Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus celebrate with their teammates following their team's second goal, an own goal by Ibanez of A.S Roma during the Serie A match between Juventus and AS Roma at Allianz Stadium on February 06, 2021 in Turin, Italy. Sporting stadiums around Italy remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Back to Juventus, the Italian side seemingly didn't learn their lesson and tried the bend the rules once again.

Juventus were accused of potentially inflating player values this season, helping to balance the club's books, getting hit with a huge 15-point deduction this campaign.

As such, Juventus now sit in 11th place in the Serie A this season, with it being highly unlikely that they'll be able to qualify for next season's Champions League.

3. Middlesbrough

Back in 1996, with 23 players out through either illness, suspension or injury, Middlesbrough called off their Premier League game with Blackburn, with less than 24 hours' notice.

The Premier League then docked Middlesbrough three points, which ended up being fatal for them, with the side being relegated by just two points later on that season.

While perhaps not the biggest punishment, the three-point deduction was more than enough for Middlesbrough to feel the consequences.

2. Luton

Luton started the 2008-09 season with 30 points less than the 23 other teams in League Two, as a result of being found guilty of several financial rule breaches.

While Luton were able to win the Johnstone's Paint Trophy that season, the 30-point deduction was too much for them to handle, and they were relegated to the National League that season.

1. Rangers

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 21: James Tavernier of Rangers lifts the trophy during the Scottish Cup Final match between Rangers and Heart of Midlothian at Hampden Park on May 21, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Rangers are now back in the Scottish Premiership, and even in the Champions League this season, but the side were in utter financial chaos back in 2011-12.

A vote by the Scottish Premier League members sent Rangers down to the third tier, a huge drop for one of the two biggest sides in the country.

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