Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges brought against them for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules, according to reports from The Athletic and The Times published Friday.
Verdict follows years-long probe
Sources briefed on the outcome said an independent commission ruled against the club on 114 of the 115 charges, which relate to alleged financial breaches spanning the 2009-10 to 2022-23 seasons. No sanctions have yet been determined, and City are expected to appeal the decision.
The Premier League declined to confirm details of the ruling, citing the confidentiality of the process. “It’s a confidential process, we’re not commenting at all,” a league spokesperson said.
City, for their part, maintained that the matter had not been formally concluded, telling the BBC that the inquiry into the allegations “remains ongoing.”
Nature of the allegations
Among the most serious accusations was that City failed, in every season from 2009-10 to 2017-18, to submit accurate financial disclosures reflecting a “true and fair view” of the club’s revenues — including sponsorship income — and its operating costs.
The 115 charges reportedly break down into 54 counts of providing inaccurate financial information, 14 counts of non-disclosure over manager and player payments, seven counts of breaching profitability and sustainability rules, five counts tied to UEFA’s financial regulations, and 35 counts of failing to cooperate with the investigation.
Legal battle and hearing timeline
City enlisted lawyer David Pannick to lead their defence, while the Premier League was represented by Adam Lewis KC. The hearing opened on September 16, 2024, at London’s International Dispute Resolution Centre and ran for nearly three months before closing arguments were heard in December 2024.
Both the league and the club reportedly have a 14-day window to lodge an appeal, which would be heard by a newly constituted three-person commission.
A club used to scrutiny
City were previously banned from the Champions League for two years by UEFA in 2020 after being found to have overstated sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016 — a ban the club successfully overturned on appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Since Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group acquired the club in 2008, City have won eight Premier League titles, one Champions League crown, and multiple domestic cups. The club currently sits atop the Premier League table after winning each of its opening five matches this season.
