Manchester City have 115 FFP charges hanging over them and frankly we’re getting tired of waiting for something to be done.
There are plenty of people salivating over the prospect of their Premier League ‘expulsion’, and we’ve divvied up their players in case of that eventuality. Erling Haaland will do great things at Everton.

And now we’re taking a look at some examples of other big teams being relegated for a variety of reasons, including financial misdeeds a la City (allegedly), but also some good old fashioned match-fixing and one case of a club being sued by its nation’s army…
 
Juventus
Juventus won the Scudetto in 2005/06, only to be stripped of that title (and the one before) and demoted to the Italian second tier having been found guilty of pressuring referees to favour the Old Lady.
Club executives were banned for their role in the Calciopoli scandal, which was uncovered in May 2006, when a number of telephone tappings showed relations between club chiefs and referee organizations during the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons.
Gianluigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero were among the star players who remained with the club despite relegation, and clearly weren’t too adversely affected by their club’s wrongdoing given they won the World Cup with Italy that summer, before helping Juve to return to Serie A at the first time of asking despite a starting the season with a nine-point deduction.
Related video: Guardiola's first Man City XI: where are they now? (Soccer Stories)

Remember when Pep Guardiola took over as Manchester City boss

Fiorentina
“We are not in Serie B, that is official,” said a spokesman for Fiorentina in the summer of 2002. “At the moment the council is looking at hypotheses about us playing in Serie C.”
Having been relegated from Serie A the club failed to prove to the Italian Football Federation that they had enough money to survive the 2002/03 season and were refused entry to Serie B. They eventually pitched up in Serie C2 as ‘Fiorentina Viola’ – or Fiorentina Purple – after the club as we knew it ceased to exist after they declared bankruptcy.
Manchester Sky Blues has a lovely early noughties Pro Evolution Soccer vibe to it.
A restructuring of the Italian football pyramid allowed them to climb straight to Serie B after just one season, skipping Serie C1. The club then bought back the rights to its name, becoming plain old Fiorentina once more, and were promoted back to Serie A in 2004 after beating Perugia in the play-offs.
Angelo Di Livio stuck with them throughout, which is the equivalent of Kevin De Bruyne rocking up for Manchester City in League Two. If Pep ain’t gonna do it, his players definitely won’t.
Angelo Di Livio Fiorentina.
© Provided by Football365
Angelo Di Livio stuck with Fiorentina in the fourth tier of Italian football.
 
Parma
Another name change and another demotion to the Italian fourth tier, by this point known as Serie D, for a club refounded as Parma Calcio 1913.
Parma had finished sixth in Serie A in the 2013/14 season, but the club was denied entry into European competition and docked points the season after due to the late payment of income tax on salaries.

There were two controversial takeovers during the season; its last chairman Giampietro Manenti was arrested on 18 March 2015 under accusation of money laundering, before the club was declared insolvent by the local court the very next day.
They were forced to put some of their trophies up for sale in a desperate attempt to raise money to cover the debt, including three Coppa Italia titles, a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, two UEFA Cups and a Supercoppa Italiana.
Manchester City’s nine Premier League titles would fetch a bob or two, as would Old Big Ears, though we’re not sure on the market for Carabao Cups. Could always take the ribbons off.
Parma Calcio 1913 earned successive promotions, returning to the top flight in 2018 before being relegated back to Serie B in 2021.
 
Rangers
Rangers entered administration during the 2011/12 season and were docked 10 points before HMRC voted against a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) on the back of debts of £134m, meaning the club would have to be reformed. They kept their name, but Rangers were liquidated and forced to start over in the Third Division of Scottish football.

Ally McCoist’s side topped the third tier at the first attempt and they eventually made it back to the Scottish Premiershi0p in 2016, ending a decade-long wait for the title in 2021 under Steven Gerrard.
 
Steaua Bucharest
Steaua Bucharest are (or were?) a bona fide European giant, winning 26 Romanian titles, 24 Romanian Cups and the European Cup in 1986 after beating Barcelona in the final. But the team currently using that name are in the second tier, with no hope of promotion as it’s now owned by the Romanian army, and public-owned clubs are barred from the top division. It’s all a bit complicated.
The Ministry of National Defense sued Steaua Bucharest in 2011, claiming the Romanian Army were the rightful owners of the Steaua logo, colours, honours and name. As a result the club changed its name to ‘SC Fotbal Club FCSB SA’ (catchy, eh?), colloquially known as FC FCSB, and have continued winning titles and playing in Europe, where they continue to be known by most as Steaua Bucharest.

In what must be quite the blow for the fake Steaua Bucharest – quite apart from not being allowed to play in the top flight after promotion from Liga IV through Liga III to Liga II since they began life in 2017 – when you search for a club by that name, Google reverts you to FC FCSB, the OG Steaua. You Ain’t Got No History, and all that.
 
Boavista
The Premier League-blinkered among us may chiefly remember Boavista from their clashes with Liverpool and Manchester United in the 2001/02 Champions League, as they drew home and away against Gerard Houllier’s side in the first group stage before getting spanked by an aggregate score of 6-0 by United in the second.
They’ve played in Europe just once since – the following campaign – and were demoted to the second tier at the end of the 2007/08 season as a result of a match-fixing scandal known as ‘Golden Whistle’, which involved chariman Valentim Loureiro bribing officials.
Boavista were then relegated from the second tier, finishing second bottom due to financial issues and stayed in Liga 3 until the 2014-15 season, when they went straight back into the top flight having won a long legal battle. They’ve finished mid-table ever since.
 
Marseille
Marseille became the first team to win the Champions League in 1993, as the side featuring Marcel Desailly, Fabien Barthez and Abedi Pele, and captained by Didier Deschamps overcame AC Milan in the final. But controversy soon followed.
Marseille president Bernard Tapie and general manager Jean-Pierre Bernes were found to have contacted Valenciennes players Jorge Burruchaga, Jacques Glassmann, and Christophe Robert through Marseille player Jean-Jacques Eydelie, who asked them to underperform in the Ligue 1 match six days before the European final so that the Marseille players could remain fresh for the showpiece event.
Burruchaga and Robert accepted the bribe but Glassmann refused and was awarded the 1995 FIFA Fair Play Award having turned whistleblower.
Marseille were relegated and their league title was taken away, but second-placed Paris Saint-Germain declined it so no team is classed as winning Ligue 1 in 1992/93.
They returned to the top flight in 1996/97 and have won just the one title since, with PSG the almost entirely dominant force of the last decade.

Mason Greenwood: Man Utd stun La Liga giants with Ratcliffe demanding way above expected rate

Atletico Madrid have reportedly ‘been left shocked’ that Manchester United are now asking for £51.3million for Mason Greenwood, a large increase on their previously reported rate.
Greenwood’s impressing in La Liga after leaving Old Trafford on loan. The winger has eight goals and five assists in all competitions for Getafe.
That he’s going to be leaving Manchester United permanently seems almost certain, and might have already happened had anybody bid for him in the summer after the club completed their investigation into the forward after police dropped charges of assault and attempted rape against him.
La Liga sides have taken notice of his good performances in the Spanish top flight. Indeed, each of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real have been linked with his signing, as have his loan club, Getafe.
The former two clubs are the latest to have been named in relation to the transfer, and that report suggested United ‘hopes for a fee’ of around £34million.
Atletico are now said to have ‘been left shocked’ by United’s latest demands, though. Indeed, according to Mundo Deportivo, the La Liga side have learned that United now in fact want £51.3million.
It’s said Diego Simeone’s side feel that is an ‘outrageous figure’. If Greenwood was to be sold for that, he’d be the fourth-most expensive departure in United’s history.
Related video: Why The Manchester United Takeover Isn’t What It Seems (FourFourTwo)

The proposed new structure would see Radcliffe take control of

While it’s not clear, it does not seem Atletico are going to attempt to pay that. But with Greenwood’s form, despite his past, there are surely clubs that would pay a decent sum in order to bring him onboard.
With as many big sides as are reportedly courting him – Juventus were recently added to that group – somebody is sure to give United what they want.
While there are questions over whether Greenwood should be playing at the top level at all, it’s hard to argue with his stats after a fairly lengthy hiatus while banned from playing by United.
If Atletico are not willing to pay, United will still expect that they’ll be able to receive a good fee and improve their own squad beyond that.
READ MORE: Undervalued Man Utd winger ‘sad’ at current situation as he speaks on ‘complicated’ time

Man Utd transfer news: Three Brentford stars Thomas Frank could sign at Old Trafford

Erik ten Hag’s status as Manchester United manager is not yet secure and the Red Devils are currently planning a contingency plan in case the Dutchman is sacked.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team are not convinced by Ten Hag, and
the former Ajax boss is under pressure at Old Trafford following his transfer errors over the past 18 months
Antony and Casemiro were signed for a combined €165.7 million in 2022, but Man Utd are now targeting replacements for both players ahead of the summer transfer window,
with Michael Olise and Amadou Onana among their targets
.
EXCLUSIVE:
Man Utd turn to Frank and NOT Southgate with Ancelotti out of reach
Ten Hag delivered a Carabao Cup trophy during his first campaign in charge and he has the chance to seal another cup success after reaching the FA Cup semi-finals.
However, his long-term future at Old Trafford isn’t confirmed and
FootballTransfers have exclusively revealed that Brentford boss Thomas Frank is being considered a possible replacement
, despite recent speculation linking England’s Gareth Southgate with the job.
If Frank is appointed by Man Utd, he could bring several of his Brentford stars with him.
READ MORE:
Man Utd's 10 best transfers of all time

Ivan Toney

Ivan Toney
has been heavily linked with a Brentford exit ahead of the summer window and he is being monitored by all of the Premier League’s biggest hitters. In fact,
FootballTransfers revealed Man Utd’s interest in the England international back in August
.
The form of Rasmus Hojlund
means that a first-choice number nine may not be the Red Devils’ priority, but Anthony Martial’s imminent departure will leave the Dane as the only senior striker option at Old Trafford.
Toney would not accept a back-up role, but he could feasibly play in a front two with Hojlund and given the amount of competitions Man Utd are likely to be in, there will be enough minutes to go around.
Related video: England manager Southgate dismisses disrespectful Man Utd links. (Sports AlDente)

Amid speculation linking him to Manchester United,

Play Video

Rico Henry

Rico Henry has played a grand total of 402 Premier League minutes this season due to an ACL injury suffered back in September, which means signing him would be a massive risk.
However, left-back is a problem position for Man Utd and
one in which they are actively looking to upgrade, according to reports
.
Henry is a fantastic player when fit and he deserves a big move to one of England’s best clubs. With his contract running out in 2026, a deal could happen this summer, especially if Frank moves to Old Trafford.

Bryan Mbeumo

Olise may be Man Utd’s priority right winger target, but Bryan Mbeumo would be a brilliant alternative.
The Frenchman stepped up big time in Toney’s absence earlier this season and with 27 goal contributions in 54 games since the start of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign, he is ready for a step up.
Man Utd have had a good historical record of signing players from within the Premier League - think Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick - and Mbeumo could be next.

Man Utd make Scott McTominay contract decision after midfielder leaves Sir Jim Ratcliffe impressed with super-sub performances this season

• McTominay remains a key player for United
• Contract expires in 2025
• United ready to negotiate new deal

WHAT HAPPENED?

Scott McTominay Man Utd 2023-24
© Provided by GOAL
Per the Daily Star, new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have been impressed by McTominay's performances and believe that the Scotland international can be a key player for the future and are willing to hand him both a new deal and a pay rise. This season, McTominay has scored seven league goals in 25 games.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

United have the option to extend McTominay's current £60,000-per-week deal by a further year but the report claims he can expect to double his money and extend his stay as a result. There had been interest from West Ham and Newcastle in securing his signature but United are keen to tie him down.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Scotland star is a lifelong United fan and has made 243 appearances for the club in total. In that time, he has netted 28 goals and provided eight assists, while also winning 41 caps for his country.

WHAT NEXT?

Erik ten Hag Manchester United Scott McTominay dejected 2023-24
© Provided by GOAL
McTominay could next be in action against Brentford when the Premier League returns on Saturday. They are currently sixth in the table.
Related video: England manager Southgate dismisses disrespectful Man Utd links. (Sports AlDente)

Arsenal to swoop for City outcast as Man Utd eye Benfica, Juve, Bayern stars

Manchester United are prioritising a Portugal midfielder this summer but they have a familiar back-up option if Benfica can’t be persuaded to lower their demands…
ARSENAL TO BEAT BARCA TO CANCELO
Joao Cancelo is having a lovely time at Barcelona and the Catalans seem pretty keen to keep the Portugal defender beyond the end of the season, when he is due to return to Manchester City.

That could be an awkward reunion given the state of relations between Cancelo and City right now. The full-back spoke out over the weekend when rumours over the reasons for his Etihad exit were put to him: “Lies have been told… I think Man City were a bit ungrateful to me.”
So City would doubtless be happy to sell Cancelo but, as ever, the problem for Barca is finding the money.
The Sun says Barca will struggle to cobble together the £40million required to sign Cancelo permanently, which could allow Arsenal to swoop. The Gunners have been linked before with the 29-year-old, who remains under contract at City for three more years.
 UNITED TARGET £103M MIDFIELDER
Manchester United are said to be targeting one of Cancelo’s international team-mates as a priority this summer.
Caught Offside claims to have ‘sources with a close understanding of United’s plans’ which feature Benfica midfielder Joao Neves. But the teenager won’t come cheap. United or anyone else keen to sign Neves is expected to stump up the £103million necessary to buy him out of his contract.
Related video: Premier League Match Preview: Arsenal Vs Manchester City (SportsGrid)
So, yet again, Adrien Rabiot is being considered as a cheaper option. The Juventus midfielder is once more heading towards free-agency and we’ve all been here before.
The same sources also highlight Dayot Upamecano as a possible defensive target if United receive word that Bayern Munich are prepared to sell this summer.
 
CHELSEA OFFER DUO TO REAL MADRID
Everyone knows Chelsea need to raise some cash – and quick – this summer to ensure they comply with Premier League PSR. Which has, apparently, led them to Real Madrid…
Defensa Central says the Blues have offered Real the chance to sign Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella for a combined fee of £166million.
There seems little prospect of Real giving Chelsea their money back on the £105million midfielder and £60million defender, especially when they are already prioritising Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies once Kylian Mbappe is tied up.
Read next: Expulsion or just a huge fine? Man City FFP punishments ranked by how much it will impact them