Manchester City faces potential legal action from players of rival teams for lost earnings, according to leading sports lawyers. This follows the club's guilty verdict, pending an appeal, on all but one of 115 charges of breaching financial rules brought by the Premier League.
The charges relate to a nine-year period and the club is currently awaiting its punishment, which is expected after its appeal is heard by a different independent commission.
Rival clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur have already served notice of possible claims for lost prize money. Players from these and other teams could also pursue legal action for financial harm, including missed bonuses for winning titles or qualifying for the Champions League.
Simon Leaf, co-founder of Three Points Law, noted that the successful compensation claim by Burnley against Everton earlier this year, which is also pending an appeal, may have made similar legal action more likely where financial breaches have been established.