BBC puts rival clubs’ Manchester City losses at £844m

Published: 2026-10-13 00:00:00

Rival clubs may have lost an estimated £844m in prize money and related income during the period covered by Manchester City’s Premier League case, according to a BBC Sport analysis of published payments.

The estimate covers seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18, and combines £188.2m in Premier League placing money, £349.7m associated with relegation, £217.8m in missed Champions League earnings and £88.3m linked to domestic cups and the Europa League. BBC Sport separately calculated that City received £1.17bn in prize money and broadcast-related income across the competitions examined.

An estimate of possible impact

The analysis assumes that clubs finishing below City could potentially have earned one place higher in league payments. It estimates relegation costs by comparing the minimum value of another Premier League season with parachute payments, and compares City’s subsequent Champions League earnings with the European income earned by affected clubs in the Europa League.

BBC Sport stressed that the figures are not an assessment of compensation and do not establish that any particular team would certainly have avoided relegation or qualified for Europe. The calculation also excludes possible future income, such as sponsorship bonuses and player-related payments.

Tottenham and Liverpool among the clubs examined

Tottenham are estimated to have suffered the largest net impact, at £119.9m, in part because they finished just outside Champions League places in four seasons when City qualified. The BBC’s comparison of European prize money put City’s earnings at £148.2m across the relevant following seasons, against £29.9m for Tottenham in the Europa League. Tottenham also gained a Europa League campaign after City beat Sunderland in the 2014 EFL Cup final, a benefit included in the net calculation.

Liverpool’s estimated financial impact is £52.3m. The figure includes £10.6m in Premier League placing money and a potential Europa League opportunity after losing the 2016 EFL Cup final to City on penalties. The BBC used Manchester United’s £37.8m Europa League prize money in 2016-17 as a comparison, while noting that Liverpool’s hypothetical outcome cannot be known.

Everton’s estimated impact is £66.4m, incorporating one missed Champions League opportunity, four occasions when they finished just outside a Europa League place and league-position payments. The BBC’s article also examines relegation scenarios, but the supplied report ends before giving a full club-by-club conclusion on those cases.

Manchester City deny wrongdoing and have appealed the independent commission’s findings. The estimates describe possible financial effects under the BBC’s assumptions; they do not determine sporting outcomes or legal liability.