MUNICH, GERMANY – MAY 31: Francesco Acerbi of FC Internazionale looks dejected as he walks past the UEFA Champions League trophy after defeat to Paris Saint-Germain during the UEFA Champions League Final 2025 between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Internazionale Milano at Munich Football Arena on May 31, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Why Inter will not be awarded Man City’s 2023 Champions League title
On Friday afternoon, news broke that Man City had been found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 Premier League financial rules that they were accused of breaking by an independent commission.
Back in February 2023, the Premier League giants were charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules, and were also accused of failing to co-operate with the Premier League’s investigations into their financial status.
Specifically, City were charged with 54 separate counts of failing to provide accurate financial information from 2009-10 until 2017-18, 14 counts of failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments over the same period, five counts of failing to comply with UEFA’s rules including FFP from 2013-14 until 2017-18, seven counts of breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability rules from 2015-16 until 2017-18 and 35 counts of failing to co-operate with the Premier League’s investigations from 2018 until 2023.
Current head coach of the Italy national team, Roberto Mancini, was employed by City during the period when they were accused of failing to provide accurate information regarding payments to players and managers.
Once a guilty verdict is formally confirmed, it is expected that City will appeal the ruling.
Exact sanctions have not yet been specified, which has led to speculation among supporters and experts alike. There has been talk of unprecedented fines, titles being stripped and potentially even relegation from the English top flight, although there are still plenty of steps before potential punishments are handed out.
What is clear, however, is that Inter will not be retrospectively awarded the 2023 Champions League title following their defeat against Man City in the final in Istanbul that year.
Even if City are stripped of their titles over the last 15 years, the independent commission that found the club guilty of their 115 charges has no jurisdiction over UEFA or its associated competitions.