We ‘relegated’ Man City to League One – there’s a shock new manager and results are iffy
Manchester City’s future is up in the air after they were charged with more than 100 breaches of financial regulations by the Premier League.
The charges – dating from 2009 to 2018 – come after a four-year investigation. And, if proven, there are some hefty punishments that could be handed out, including demotion(s) and even being stripped of Premier League titles.
City responded to the charges, stating they were “surprised” by the allegations, which they deny. But this isn’t the first time the Abu Dhabi-owned club have been in the spotlight over this sort of issue, with their two-season ban from the Champions League dished out by UEFA in 2020 overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, after those accusations could not be proven.
READ MORE: How Premier League table will look if Man City are docked same points as Juventus
So, if City were to be proven guilty, and demoted from the Premier League all the way down to League One without their spending power, how would Pep Guardiola’s side cope? What players would stay, and would we see them in the top flight again?
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Manchester City demoted to League One simulated
To set up the simulation, we used the Football Manager 2023 Editor to move Manchester City down two divisions to League One, while setting their budget to £0. We then let the game simulate the next three seasons to see how City could perform, who they could buy and sell, and whether they could make it back to the Premier League.
2023/24 season
As expected, the majority of City’s squad couldn’t wait to leave in the first transfer window, with most exiting on permanent deals and a few out on loan. Some standout moves were goal machine and GQ model Erling Haaland jetting off to Real Madrid; Iberian trio Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Ruben Dias heading to Barcelona; homegrown star Phil Foden swapping cheese on toast in Stockport for croque monsieurs in Paris with PSG; and, perhaps most shockingly of all, star man Kevin De Bruyne joining bitter rivals Liverpool.
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Argentine hotshot Julian Alvarez and England internationals John Stones and Kalvin Phillips left on two-year loans, as did Dutch defender Nathan Ake, but young prospects Sergio Gomez, Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis all remained at the club.
However, in the biggest blow of all, an exasperated Pep Guardiola made good on his vow to walk away, with arguably the world’s greatest coach replaced by Hibernian manager Lee Johnson. Ouch.
(Image: Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
Thanks to the exodus, plenty of academy players were made regulars in the first team at City, while the likes of Nottingham Forest forward Sam Surridge, Newcastle defender Jamal Lewis, Blackpool centre-back Charlie Goode and Spurs youth goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman all arrived on loan or for small fees. It’s safe to say Man City were no longer shopping in Harrods.
(Image: Football Manager 2023)
But how did the revamped Citizens get on? Well, in their first season in League One, they ended up finishing fourth in the table, qualifying for the promotion play-offs.
After beating Cambridge United 4-2 over two legs, they faced Derby County in the final, and a 54th-minute strike from Cole Palmer handed his side promotion. Wythenshawe’s own Palmer was the face of the club in League One, with the youngster ending the campaign with 20 goals and 18 assists. Mad for it.
(Image: Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
2024/25 season
There were no major departures in the 2024/25 season, with the only arrivals apart from Sam Surridge either loans or free transfers. Brighton striker Deniz Undav and Wolves’ Daniel Podence both signed on loan and Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos joined on a free transfer. Long gone were the days of splashing £100m on England fringe players and £40m on a new fullback every six months.
City started the season fantastically, storming to the top of the Championship under new manager Vincent Kompany, prised away from Burnley to take the helm at his beloved City. A rough patch of form saw City drop to fifth in the table before the January transfer window, prompting them to recall goal grabber Julian Alvarez from his loan at Atletico Madrid.
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With the Argentine back in the ranks, City continued their push up the table, and, after 46 league games, Kompany’s side won the Championship, gaining promotion back to the Premier League.
The likes of Brazilian teen wonder Kayky, the forward’s countryman the right-back Yan Couto, and Mancunian midfielder Tommy Doyle all starred in the 2024/25 season, and City ended the season on 103 points, five more than Crystal Palace in second. Sorry Palace fans – it’s all gone pear-shaped under Patrick Vieira.
(Image: Football Manager 2023)
Brighton flop Undav ended the season as City’s top scorer, notching 22 across the campaign, six more than Palmer and seven more than Liam Delap – yes, the son of Stoke long throw-in king Rory. But the Citizens failed to advance past the third round in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
2025/26 season
In their first summer back in the Premier League, City spent £38m as they started to rebuild towards Premier League glory. German wingback Robin Goesens, Argentina midfielder Lucas Ocampos, Norwegian right back Marcus Holmgren Pedersen and Ukrainian shotstopper Antoliiy Trubin all signed, with Holmgren Pedersen costing £26.5m of that.
Star man Julian Alvarez departed for PSG in a deal worth £87m, while Rico Lewis moved to rivals Arsenal for £41m – continuing the baffling trend of City letting quality players move to the Emirates.
(Image: Manchester City FC via Getty Ima)
As for their Premier League campaign? Well, City started strongly, but dropped off around Christmas, with Kompany’s side sitting around mid-table.
Liverpool permacrock Naby Keita and Chelsea’s rising England midfielder Conor Gallagher were both brought on on loan deals in January, and they helped add to the depth of the City squad as they pushed up the table. The Citizens ended up challenging for the European spots, finishing the season in seventh and claiming a spot in the Europa League.
(Image: EA SPORTS FIFA)
Overall, FM23 predicts that if City were to be demoted to the third tier of English football, the academy players along with some smart recruitment could send City back to the Premier League in just two seasons and back into the European spots in three. Club legend Vincent Kompany became the City manager in the second season of the simulation, and he did a fantastic job as the blue side of Manchester bounced back in no time at all.