Manchester City found guilty of financial breaches
An independent commission has found the English giants guilty of serious breaches over nine seasons.
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Manchester City has officially been found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules. The commission also found the club guilty of failing to co-operate sufficiently with the investigation on most of the charges; no sanction has yet been announced.
The Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of all the charges relating to serious financial breaches over a nine-season period. The commission also found the club guilty of failing to co-operate sufficiently with the investigation on most of the charges.
The case dates back to the period from 2009 to 2018 inclusive. The Premier League accused the club of providing inaccurate or incomplete financial information about, among other things, revenue, related parties and costs. In 2023, the league referred the case to an independent commission.
The commission is independent of the Premier League and its member clubs. The proceedings were held behind closed doors. The final ruling has now been made public, but the full reasoning behind all the individual findings must be examined to establish precisely how the commission assessed the various charges.
The ruling does not yet determine what punishment Manchester City will receive. Under the league’s regulations, possible measures may vary, but the Premier League announced no decision on the matter on Tuesday. It is therefore not responsible to speculate about points deductions, financial penalties, title issues or expulsion.
Manchester City has consistently denied the allegations. At the start of the proceedings, the club said it had extensive material to support its position. Following the ruling, the club indicated that it intended to use the avenues of appeal that remain open to it.
The timing is important for the English football industry. Manchester City has been among England’s dominant clubs since its takeover by Abu Dhabi United Group. The outcome could affect how financial rules are enforced and other clubs that believe rivals have gained an advantage through breaches.
The ruling is therefore an important step, but not the end of the case. Until any appeal and the sanction have been concluded, it remains unclear what sporting or financial consequences the club will ultimately face. The core of the dispute has now, however, been formally assessed by an independent commission.
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The text is limited to the officially reported finding of guilt, the procedural background and the sanction that remains outstanding. Unconfirmed speculation about the eventual punishment has deliberately been omitted.
- confirmed An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of serious financial breaches over nine seasons. — Cadena SER reports the ruling on the basis of the Premier League communiqué; AP and The Guardian describe the same case. source
- confirmed The commission found the club guilty on the majority of the charges relating to non-co-operation. — This appears in the wording of the Premier League communiqué as reproduced. source
- confirmed The case dates back to the period from 2009 to 2018 inclusive. — The original Premier League referral refers to the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons inclusive. source
- confirmed The sanction had not yet been announced. — Public reporting on the ruling states that a sanction has not yet been determined. source
- confirmed Manchester City has consistently denied the allegations. — This is clear from the club’s official statement at the start of the proceedings. source
Editor's note
The finding of guilt and the main outline of the case have been reported by multiple public sources. The sanction and the commission’s full reasoning had not yet been established or made fully available at 19.11.Sources
- Manchester City found guilty of breaking Premier League financial fair play rules — The Guardian
- Man City and 115 charges: What to know about the controversy — Associated Press
- Manchester City FC statement on Premier League charges — Manchester City FC
- Premier League statement on Manchester City referral — Premier League
- Oficial: la Premier League declara culpable al Manchester City — Cadena SER
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „manchester city”
- NU.nl — „manchester city”
- De Telegraaf — „manchester city”