Senior figures worried about Man City being in next season's Champions League

Senior figures within English football are concerned that Manchester City could play in the Champions League next season even if they are relegated from the Premier League for breaching financial regulations.

It centres around the possibility that City win the Champions League, which would provide qualification for the competition as titleholders - regardless of their status in the English domestic pyramid.

BBC Sport has been told that there is no automatic mechanism to remove City from a European competition they qualify for on sporting merit.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges related to inflating sponsorship revenue by £830m by using sham contracts, as well as hiding other expenses worth an additional £90m.

Without this, the independent commission said, City would have failed the profit and sustainability rules in all nine seasons between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

City continue to strenuously deny any wrongdoing, calling the outcome a “Premier League conspiracy”. Last week the club lodged an appeal against the verdict.

BBC Sport has spoken to a number of senior figures within the game in recent days who are concerned about the prospect of City qualifying for the Champions League next season.

The feeling is that if City do not win their appeal and are therefore handed a strong sanction, then being allowed to compete alongside Europe’s elite, and receiving the financial rewards which come with it, would not be acceptable.

The immediate issue surrounds the Uefa licence, which every club needs in order to play in Europe.

One source said the issue of City’s licence “had been raised” and that a solution “would require the sort of joined up thinking that’s been a bit lacking so far”.

The licences are issued by the Football Association, though the process itself is delegated to the Premier League.

The licences are based upon current information which does not take into account sanctions or breaches related to historical offences.

If a club fulfils all minimum criteria required for admission, the licence cannot be refused.

The key reasons a club may fail relate to overdue payables to other teams, players or outstanding tax liabilities.

Match-fixing convictions within the last 10 years, or an integrity conflict related to multi-club ownership, are considered but would not apply to City.

A source added that “licences are awarded on the basis of current financial performance, so the grounds to refuse one are unclear”.

If the verdict is upheld by the appeal board it is likely City will face severe sanctions, which could include heavy points deductions, a large fine and transfer embargoes.

The sanctioning hearing, which will determine the level of punishment City must face, is yet to be scheduled.

While a points deduction could rule City out of qualifying by league position, it might still be achieved through cup competitions.

Expelling City from the Premier League immediately is also an option which remains on the table.

Senior figures both in the English game and in European football are aware of how bad the optics would be if City face strong sanctions yet still play in the Champions League.

It is exacerbated by doubts that the whole process - including an appeal against the sanction - is not guaranteed to be completed by the end of the season.

The Premier League added new clauses to its regulations to set time frames around disciplinary processes and appeals in the summer.

If applicable, this would mean a judgement on the sanction must come no later than January. But there is no confirmation this applies to the City case.

It is not just about City winning the Champions League, however. If they were to win the FA Cup or Carabao Cup - they play Brighton in the fourth round on 28 October - that would provide a place in the Europa League or the Conference League respectively.

European football’s governing body cannot take any action while the Premier League disciplinary process plays out, but it is understood that potential scenarios are likely to be discussed by the Uefa administration and the Uefa club financial control body (CFCB).

The Premier League case found City guilty of five charges of breaching Uefa’s profit and sustainability rules.

Uefa may open a case in accordance with the disciplinary regulations to find a way to remove City’s eligibility.

But this does not provide certainly as City’s offences are historical.

In 2020, City successfully overturned their two-year ban from European club competitions handed down by Uefa.

Uefa issued the ban after ruling City had committed “serious breaches” of financial fair play regulations between 2012 and 2016 - with the same period as the Premier League’s investigation.

But the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) overturned the ban because the offences were “time-barred” under Uefa’s rules.

If City are not successful in their appeal and win the Champions League, the CFCB will have to find a disciplinary measure to remove the club from next season’s competition.

Yet with City already having won against Uefa through Cas once before, there is the concern they could do so again.

Midfielder Appiah joins Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers have signed former Nottingham Forest midfielder Arvin Appiah after he left Spanish side Almeria at the end of last season.

The 25-year-old worked with Rovers boss Steve Evans during a previous spell at Rotherham United and ended last season on loan with Amiens in the French second division.

“Steve knows what I can do and what I can bring to this team,” Appiah told the Rovers website.

“He just wants me to get my confidence back up and I am grateful to him for putting that trust back in me. Now, I have got to show it on the pitch.”

Appiah made eight appearances for Forest in all competitions before joining Spanish side Almeria for £8m in September 2019.

He helped Almeria win promotion to La Liga in the 2021-22 campaign and has had loan spells at Tenerife, Malaga and Portugese top-flight side CD Nacional, as well as spending the 2023-24 season with Rotherham.

Rovers have not disclosed the details of Appiah’s contract but he could make his debut when they host Barnet in League Two on Saturday, 10 October (15:00 BST).

£117m Rogers failed at Bournemouth - and feared he may not make it

Rogers scored only once on loan at Bournemouth, against Luton Town in the Championship

Three years before becoming Chelsea’s £117m club-record signing, Morgan Rogers watched his value fall to just £1m and questioned whether he would make it at all.

For Rogers, the transition from academy football to the men’s game was not as seamless as he had hoped and, in his own words, it took a series of “difficult loans” for him to break through.

Bournemouth, who Chelsea face at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, were the first of two underwhelming Championship loan spells for Rogers, alongside a later stint at Blackpool, while he was a Manchester City player.

It was a setback for a player who had been a regular England youth international and one of West Bromwich Albion’s brightest academy prospects.

In a recent interview with Chelsea’s club channel, Rogers said that period taught him how to “take knocks”.

Asked what his rise through the EFL had taught him, he replied: “Everything.”

After a long pause, he added: “I needed that next challenge, to be taken out of my comfort zone and find the player I was going to be in professional football.

“I think the academy player I was, if you watch me then, is not the same player I am now. I am a completely different player. I had to learn that on loan.

“The one thing I learned when going through these difficult loans is that I couldn’t care less what people say about me. I just care about what I can control.”

Rogers lined up in an attack with now-Everton forward Brennan Johnson at Lincoln City

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad loan,” Rogers’ first loan manager at Lincoln City, Michael Appleton, told BBC Sport.

Appleton had worked in West Brom’s academy and knew Rogers was one of the most highly rated prospects there. He made it his mission to bring him to Sincil Bank in League One.

He remembers Rogers having a big personality and speaking up in team meetings despite arriving as an 18-year-old. The forward went on to score six goals and provide two assists in 28 appearances after joining shortly after lockdown.

En route to the play-off final, which Lincoln lost to Blackpool, Appleton recalls one moment in particular.

“We played Portsmouth away and they had three or four absolute units in the team,” he added. “We were setting up for set-pieces and almost running out of players to pick up these giants.

“Without any hesitation whatsoever, Morgan said: ‘Make me a marker. I’ll head the ball out of our box.’

“This was a teenager on his first loan.

“He was full of confidence because he was playing well, but he took the defensive side of the game just as seriously as trying to impact the opposition’s box. For me, that’s a great example of him as a person and as a player.”

However, after earning an opportunity in the Championship with Bournemouth, Rogers started only three matches and scored once under then-manager Scott Parker, whose side secured promotion back to the Premier League.

Rogers had little impact and was described as a “slow burner” by former scout Des Taylor, who brought him in.

He added: “You could see his ability having scouted him at Lincoln, but it wasn’t clear what he would become. We saw his Lincoln loan spell turn him from a boy into a man.

“He showed he could handle the physical side of things after coming from Man City’s academy. Unfortunately, we signed him late in the window. We saw him as a number 10, but Parker was not really playing with a number 10.

“I don’t think it was a great time for him because he wasn’t getting game time and, when he did, it wasn’t in the position he wanted. He was a victim of the transition. It was no fault of Scott’s, but it didn’t work out.”

Former Bournemouth team-mate Steve Cook added: “Bournemouth had the opportunity to sign him permanently (reportedly for £9m) but it didn’t work out.

“He didn’t let it stop him. First and foremost, he was a really good lad. He was energetic away from the football pitch and I think that character has helped take him to where he is now.

“He’s a great example that not every journey is straightforward. You need setbacks to make you hungry and appreciate what you’ve got. He worked hard, listened, had a willingness to learn and wanted to prove people wrong.”

Rogers’ loan spell was cut short and he returned to academy football before an injury delayed his next move to Blackpool until the following January.

The move reunited Rogers with Appleton in the Championship, but the manager was sacked after only two weeks and replaced by Mick McCarthy.

Rogers made 20 appearances, both as a starter and substitute, scoring once as the Tangerines were relegated to League One after appointing a third manager in April.

“Unfortunately, he played one game against Watford and then I got sacked. That wasn’t great for either of us,” Appleton added.

“He’d been patient, I’d been patient while he recovered from his summer injury, we’d finally reconnected and then I was out of the building.

“I don’t think he played as much as he would have liked after that, but he dealt with it professionally and in the right way.”

Rogers says this period was “difficult” and tried not to compare himself to former team-mates who overtook him and got opportunities before him.

He even doubted whether he would make it but said his family and friends kept him grounded.

Notably, his “best friend in football”, Cole Palmer, joined Chelsea for £42.5m having not needed a loan move to establish himself at Manchester City. At the same time, Rogers joined Middlesbrough for just £1m.

A run of five goals and three assists during Middlesbrough’s six-game run to the Carabao Cup semi-finals alerted Aston Villa, where several of Rogers’ former West Brom coaches were working in senior academy roles, to make an initial £8m move in the winter window.

By then, however, his close friend Palmer had already broken into the England squad through regular goals and assists for Chelsea.

“Morgan is a great example that careers aren’t always a straight line,” Appleton explained.

From a £9m prospect to a £1m gamble and eventually a £117m Chelsea signing, his story is a reminder that some of the best footballers need to overcome setbacks from a young age.

£800m in, £800m out - Why Man City scandal shines light on Man Utd finances

The Premier League panel’s report laid it out in black and white.

“The club’s income was hugely overstated by over £830 million.”

In other words, Manchester City’s owners circumvented the league’s financial regulations over a number of years by pumping money into the club that should not have been recorded as sponsorship income.

The damning judgement landed less than five days after Manchester United’s extended filing to the New York Stock Exchange which detailed their end of year accounts to 30 June 2026.

Contained within it was an interest payment of £37m, an increase from £34m the previous year.

And respected football finance blogger Swiss Ramble now estimates that United’s net interest payments since the leveraged Glazer takeover of the club in 2005 have risen to a total of £852m.

Without excusing City’s owners in any way, it has not escaped the attentions of many fans from both Manchester clubs that while the arrival of one ownership group in the city resulted in money being ploughed in, it meant a similar significant sum being paid out in interest for the other.

United’s latest accounts included this comment from chief executive Omar Berrada: “While these results confirm that we are on the right trajectory, we will continue to take a disciplined approach to ensure our finances remain sustainable.”

This came after a third-place finish in the Premier League, which confirmed a return to the Champions League after a two-year absence.

Record revenues of £677.6m, projected to go as high as £760m in 2026-27, is something to celebrate.

Yet Berrada’s cautious stance underlined a few home truths.

In confirming they had spent £191.7m on new players; notably Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, and costs associated with them, plus academy players such as England youth international Tynan Thompson, since 30 June, with payments due ‘in the next five years’. United also revealed they had borrowed an additional £90m. It took their overall debt to £1.15bn.

To put that into context, in accounts to June 2021, the comparable sum was £667m.

Prior to 30 June, United’s transfer debt was £375m. Of that, £218m must be paid before 30 June 2027. United have also said in addition to Baleba, Santos and Tielemans, they are liable for another £122.8m in potential contract payments if players they have already signed hit pre-agreed targets – although presumably the club would be happy if they ended up paying this.

When they restructured their debt in June, United added $125m (£94.36m) to their main debt. On 23 September, they said £63.5m had been spent on land for their proposed new stadium, the precise funding model for which is still to be determined.

Many fans, particularly those who do not want a new stadium, feel that money would have been better invested in Michael Carrick’s squad.

Yet, as Berrada said, United are taking a ‘disciplined approach’ on that.

In 2025, United had the fifth highest wage bill in the Premier League, at £313m. The absence of European football means that sum dropped to £302m in 2025-26. No other clubs have released their figures yet, but it would be a major surprise if United climbed any higher, meaning Carrick over-achieved by finishing third. United’s wages to turnover ratio is 45%. No club had a better figure than that last season.

While there are variables and also notable exceptions, including the Old Trafford outfit themselves who over the past decade, have topped the annual salary cost table but not the actual Premier League, and in 2024-25 finished 15th despite those fifth highest wage costs, there is a general correlation between salaries and performance.

Yet, while United were relatively restrained on the transfer front in terms of spending this summer – their £148m outlay was below that of newly-promoted Ipswich and Hull among others – their recent net spend has been high. The reason for this is clear.

When the most recent transfer window closed on 1 September, they had generated £47m from sales. It put them 11th in the Premier League. Only Liverpool of their ‘big six’ rivals brought in less.

Since they sold striker Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan for £74m in 2019, United have only generated more than £25m for a player on four occasions – for Mason Greenwood, Scott McTominay, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho.

It was instructive this summer a series of young players were sold, either for a lower fee than anticipated in the cases of Radek Vitek and Toby Collyer, who joined Middlesbrough and West Brom respectively, or none, like defenders Tyler Fredricson and James Overy. In all cases though, the transfers included significant sell-on and buy-back clauses, which is part of a strategy by United to generate more revenue from player sales.

In June 2023, Premier League clubs voted to cap future leveraged buyouts at around 65% of a club’s value. The move seemed to be in response to ALK Capital’s takeover of Burnley in December 2020.

Many United fans feel the move was 18 years too late.

The negativity around Manchester City’s scandal has indirectly, shone a light on the situation at Old Trafford.

Given there is little realistic chance of the substantive debt being paid off, Berrada and his colleagues must navigate the tricky balance of keeping costs under control, trimming the outstanding transfer fees, not extending the revolving credit limit and funding a new stadium – all while spending enough to deliver on the pitch.

In 2017-18, United made £80m in prize money from their run to the Champions League quarter-finals. In 2024-25, they got £31m for reaching the Europa League final. In their recently negotiated shirt deal with Adidas, a £10m annual reduction is applied if the club miss out on reaching the Champions League.

When Carrick sends his team out against bottom-club Tottenham at Old Trafford on 10 October, they will be attempting to drag themselves up from 12th place in the table.

The overall target is undefined, but it is pretty clear Champions League qualification will be a significant part of it.

Learning from Arteta and inspiring youngsters - Wilshere on management

Jack Wilshere won the FA Cup with Arsenal as a player in 2014 and 2015 and guided Luton Town to the EFL Trophy in April.

In the seventh episode of the new season, Kelly Somers sits down with Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere.

Jack Wilshere’s footballing career has gone full circle.

From starting out at Luton Town aged seven, Wilshere went on to win trophies at Arsenal and represent England at two major tournaments, before having to retire early because of injury problems and moving into coaching.

Now, he is back where he began, at Luton, this time as manager.

Sitting overlooking the pitches he used to play on as a youngster, the 34-year-old spoke to BBC Sport’s Kelly Somers for The Football Interview and discussed his career - and how he hopes he can use his experiences to improve his players.

An exciting attacking midfielder with an ability to spot a pass or dribble past his opponent, Wilshere twice won the FA Cup with the Gunners.

He played in the Premier League 182 times and represented England on 34 occasions, appearing at both the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the European Championship in France two years later.

But injuries plagued the latter part of his career, with him announcing his retirement at only 30.

However, there were no regrets.

“I loved it [my career], I’m really proud,” he said. “I got to play for my country and represent them at two major tournaments. OK, they didn’t go the way we wanted them to, but I got to do it. I scored for my country, I played for the club I loved growing up, so pride is the biggest thing.”

On 13 October it will be one year since Wilshere became Luton boss, his first senior management role - although he had been in interim charge of Norwich City for a two-game spell at the end of the previous season.

He has already won silverware in his time with the Hatters, guiding them to the EFL Trophy, beating Stockport County 3-1 at Wembley in April in front of a crowd of nearly 50,000.

“I’m 34 now and probably could still be playing,” he added. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved every minute of playing, but I also really, really love this and I’m fortunate to start my [management] journey early. I’m really grateful to the club and the board for giving me that opportunity because they didn’t need to. I was a young coach wanting to make my first step into the game.”

Immediately after his playing career ended, he was invited back to Arsenal to coach their youngsters and instantly knew management and coaching was for him.

“I hear stories about people struggling in retirement and I retired on a Monday, and I was in with the [under] 18s on a Tuesday,” said Wilshere. “When I first went and walked through the door to coaching, I realised this is going to take over my life, and I need to commit myself to this if I want to improve.”

By that time Mikel Arteta, who had been Wilshere’s Arsenal team-mate for five years, was first-team manager.

Arteta guided the Gunners to the Premier League title in 2025-26, their first time as English champions in 22 years, and Wilshere felt the Spaniard had played a vital role in developing him as a coach.

“I got to see Mikel and how he coached and the influence he was having,” said Wilshere. “I would ask him questions, why he’s doing certain things, and I started to fall in love with it and how he started to prepare training sessions. I’d get an opportunity to practice that with the 18s in the afternoon and it was something I wasn’t that good at, and I felt uncomfortable at times.”

“I was influenced by Mikel, but then I had to learn how to teach. I had to learn how to get that across, how to plan a session and how to get the outcomes that you wanted. I played under some good coaches and was quite good at understanding what a coach wants, but I never dived into ‘why is he asking me to do that?’ Mikel really made that clear and I was lucky enough to have a relationship where I could say, ‘well, why do you want that?’ And he was open enough to share it with me.”

Not only did his former club Arsenal become English champions, but Wilshere gained extra satisfaction as he had coached defender Myles Lewis-Skelly, winger Ethan Nwaneri and midfielder Max Dowman during his time at the club’s academy.

Wilshere was only 16 when he made his Arsenal debut, and Dowman was 15 when he first played for the Gunners senior team, with Wilshere spotting his talent early on.

“Max played for my 18s team when he was 13,” added Wilshere. “I remember calling my dad because I played for the 18s when I was 14. I was like, ‘was 13 too young?’ In the first game we could clearly see that he was ready for it. And I remember calling my dad and saying, ‘you need to come watch this kid’. My dad did, and my dad’s very biased, as you could imagine. But even he said, ‘he’s better than you’.”

Wilshere, who is aiming to guide Luton to promotion to the Championship this season, felt one of his managerial strengths was being able to warn his young players of the perils of professional football.

Early in his career he had been pictured drinking and smoking, leading to criticism from then Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, but Wilshere said he learned from the experience and passes that knowledge on to his players.

“Yes, I made mistakes, but I also reflect on that,” said Wilshere, who also played for Bolton, Bournemouth, West Ham and Danish side AGF. “I had a manager that had high standards and he let me know that he was disappointed, but he also gave me another chance. You educate them, you let them know there’s a line and there’s things they can’t do. But also give them another chance. I believe in that.”

Wilshere’s man-management skills were shown when he delivered a passionate half-time team talk which then went viral on social media, as Luton trailed Reading 3-1 on the opening day of this season, only to recover and clinch a dramatic 4-3 win.

“You have to build that relationship with the players,” said Wilshere. “Players also want to have high standards. They want to be held accountable. Ever since day one, they’ve been all-in with what we’ve been trying to do. My idea is you have to work really, really hard. I want to give the players clarity in every single moment. I’d like to think I’m really hard-working, you have to be. You have to have a big love for the game because it takes over your life, which I do. Then if you have that blend and try and make it enjoyable for the players, there will be challenges along the way, but you’re on the right path.”