The 25th of September marked a monumental day in football history. Manchester City were reportedly found guilty of 114 of the 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. There’s been a lot of discourse surrounding the men’s team: punishment, consequences, retribution. While these breaches only concern the Premier League, it’s safe to say the women’s team will also suffer from this infraction.
Throughout history, women’s sports teams have been directly affected by the actions of the men’s team. In 2005, Malcolm Glazer disbanded Manchester United’s women’s team after only four years of it being official, claiming it wasn’t in their “core business” interests. Man United then went without a women’s team until 2018, when it was reinstated following pressure from fans. More recently, Barcelona Femení began the 25/26 season with only 17 registered players due to the club’s financial troubles.
However, Man City women have also benefitted from the club’s investment. In May 2026, Manchester City announced the completion of a new £10 million training facility purpose-built for the women’s team. Previously, they used the club’s £200 million training complex, built in 2014, which they continue to have access to.
Furthermore, Khadija Shaw re-signed for Man City in May, despite strong interest from Chelsea. She became the highest-paid women’s footballer by quite a margin, with City bettering Chelsea’s offer of more than £1.2m per season.
Last season, the women’s team picked up their first WSL title since 2016. It seems unlikely that Man City women will be punished following the financial breaches in the Premier League, but negative public opinion could taint this milestone for them. However, if Man City women are truly unsettled by the club’s charges, they haven’t shown it, winning all five of their WSL games so far this season.
In September, the women’s team made a conscious effort to distance themselves from the men’s team with new branding. This helps them generate a separate identity, attracting new fans and building a different audience to the men’s team.
Despite these attempts, the women’s team could suffer from a loss of sponsors, decreasing wages, and a declining reputation.
“Steph Houghton July 2018” by Dana K. O. is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
