Chelsea, Manchester City have shorter odds than 6 rival clubs to get relegated next season amid FFP concerns
Oddschecker has released the odds of Premier League giants Manchester City and Chelsea being relegated from the Premier League next season due to breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. However, these odds are shorter than those of other Premier League juggernauts.
Manchester City have recently been crowned champions for the fourth consecutive time and for the sixth time in seven seasons under Pep Guardiola. Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino's side has finished sixth in the EPL table with 63 points.
Both clubs have been handed warnings about breaches of FFP rules and might face sanctions like points deduction or even relegation if found guilty.
Pep Guardiola's side currently awaits the trial of a total of 115 charges of FFP breaches against them. Although Chelsea haven't been handed financial breach charges, they have been accused of spending over $1 billion since Tod Boehly took over the club's ownership.
Oddschecker has given the Premier League clubs the odds of being relegated from the Premier Division. Manchester City have odds of 33/1 to be relegated while Pochettino's side has odds of 20/1 to be relegated before the 2024/25 season.
However, other English clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspurs have higher odds of facing the wrath of financial breaches next season.
FFP commission members Steve Holt, Mark Hovell, and Robert Glancy KC have already punished Nottingham City for breaching FFP rules. Four points were deducted from the club last season, leaving them inside the relegation zone with nine games to play. Manchester City and Chelsea could be in for similar punishments or even worse.
A 52-page document issued by the members said:
"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."
August 17 is the first matchday of the 2024-25 season of the Premier League.
Manchester City and Chelsea had contrasting campaigns in 2024
Pep Guardiola has transformed the Manchester City setup into a Premier League juggernaut, winning his fourth consecutive title just a few days ago. However, the Spanish manager has hinted that he is 'closer to leaving than staying.'
In the post-match interview after the final EPL matchday, Guardiola said (via CBS Sports):
"The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying [after next season]. We have talked with the club – my feeling is that I want to stay now. I will stay next season and during the season we will talk. But eight or nine years – we will see."
Pep's contract with Manchester City runs until 2025, and he is believed to leave the club by the end of next season. However, this is all conjecture at this point.
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino did not have the worst first season. The Argentine signed a two-year deal with Chelsea in the summer of 2023, with the option to extend by a year.
It was reported that the Chelsea boss' fate would be decided by a review meeting after the season. Mauricio Pochettino has helped the team finish sixth in the league with 63 points.
Chelsea also qualified for the FA Cup semi-finals, where they lost to Manchester City. Their other big loss came at the EFL Cup final, where they lost to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.