Manchester City have been found guilty on almost all of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League relating to breaches of financial regulations, in one of the most significant verdicts in the history of English football.
Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that City were found guilty on all but one of the charges. Sanctions have not yet been determined and all possibilities remain on the table. City are expected to appeal.
The charges, first filed in February 2023 following a four-year investigation, related to alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018. The Premier League referred the case to an independent commission after German newspaper Der Spiegel published leaked financial documents from City in November 2018. The allegations included failing to provide accurate financial information, failing to properly disclose player and coach payments, breaches of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations, and violations of the league’s own Profitability and Sustainability Rules. City have consistently denied all allegations.
In a statement, a City spokesperson said the process “remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality,” adding that the club had “diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”
Potential Ramifications
The sanctions phase of the process now begins, with outcomes that could range from fines to points deductions or, in the most severe scenario, expulsion from the Premier League. The appeal process, once lodged by City, could extend the timeline significantly.
City remain one of the most successful clubs in English football’s modern era, having won multiple league titles during the period under investigation. What those titles mean in the context of this verdict is among the questions the sanctions phase must now address.
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