Every team that would have qualified for the Champions League if Man City's results were overturned

Updated 14:09 26 Sep 2026 GMT+1Published 14:02 26 Sep 2026 GMT+1 One side missed out on a Champions League spot FOUR times. Five Premier League sides could have qualified for the Champions League is Manchester City's results relating to the 115 charges were overturned.

After three years, seven months and 19 days, football fans finally discovered the verdict of the 115 Premier League charges brought against Manchester City on Friday afternoon. City were found guilty of all but one of the charges, and as punishments for the verdict are decided, it's clear that there's one team that should be more than any other having missed out on a Champions League spot FOUR times because of Man City's recent success.

Advert In 2010/11, the season that saw City return to the Champions League, Tottenham Hotspur would have qualified in City's place if Roberto Mancini's side had been sanctioned for the charges that season, after the London club finished fifth. The 2011/12 season, is perhaps the most complicated season to say which club missed out due to City's actions.

However, Chelsea winning the the Champions League with Thomas Tuchel that season despite finishing sixth meant that fourth-placed Tottenham were pushed into the Europa League, missing out once again. It's therefore likely that Spurs would have moved into the top three and therefore qualified alongside Chelsea.

Once again the following year it is Spurs that would have benefitted from City being punished at the time as they would have replaced second-placed City in the Champions League. In 2013/14, Everton would have qualified after finishing fifth behind champions City.

Again, Tottenham would have taken City's Champions League place if they have been sanctioned 2014/15. While local rivals Manchester United would have qualified in 2015/16 after finishing level on points with fourth-placed City.

The next season, 2016/17, Arsenal would have qualified after finishing fifth, one point outside the top four And finally, Chelsea would have replaced champions City in 2017/18 after finishing fifth that campaign. So overall it was Tottenham Hotspur that missed out on Champions League qualification the most in their period - four times - whole Everton, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all missed out on one occasion.

Although City are expected to appeal the verdict in the case, it's likely that legal action could follow from clubs in the Premier League, should the verdict be upheld. Reports have claimed that several clubs have already had discussions with lawyears about the possibility of launching a legal case in the coming months to seek financial compensation for City's actions.

It is believed that legal firms told clubs that that they would be eligible for compensation in the event City are found guilty. Of the clubs impacted, it is those that missed out on Champions League qualification that are believed to have missed out on the most revenue, with City potentially facing nine figure legal cases with several of their biggest rivals.