Manchester City and Chelsea to get relegated next season?

Manchester City and Chelsea have been assigned surprising odds of relegation for the upcoming season due to ongoing concerns regarding Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. Both clubs are under scrutiny and could face severe penalties if found guilty of financial breaches.

Manchester City, fresh off their fourth consecutive Premier League title win, are currently dealing with 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League last year. The charges, detailed by Richard Keys, loom over the club as they await the outcome.

Chelsea, while not yet charged, are also under the FFP spotlight. Concerns have been raised within the club after spending over £1 billion since Todd Boehly took ownership.

As the 2024/25 season approaches, betting odds from Oddschecker have pegged both clubs with unexpected chances of relegation.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are listed at 33/1 to drop out of the Premier League, while Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea have shorter odds at 20/1. These odds are notably higher than those for Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa.

Legal experts Robert Glancy KC, Mark Hovell, and Steve Holt, who previously issued sanctions to Nottingham Forest, have outlined potential punishments for Manchester City and Chelsea. In their 52-page document, they explained that penalties for FFP breaches could range from a simple warning to expulsion from the Premier League.

They stated:

“Where a PSR breach is ‘minor’, then it will be for other Commissions to determine if any points deduction is necessary, appropriate or proportionate. But if the breach is properly described as ‘major’ then it may be the case that even a very severe sanction such as expulsion is more appropriate.”

In the recently concluded season, Manchester City dominated the Premier League, finishing with 91 points. Chelsea ended the season in sixth place, accumulating 63 points.

The potential repercussions of the FFP investigations have created an atmosphere of uncertainty around both clubs, raising questions about their future in England’s top flight.