Manchester City Found Guilty of Premier League Financial Rule Breaches
Manchester City have been found guilty by an independent Premier League Commission over serious financial-rule breaches spanning nine seasons, with a separate hearing now set to determine sanctions.
Case at a glance
| Item | Finding or deadline | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Financial impact | More than £900 million | Revenue and costs were allegedly misstated |
| Period examined | Nine seasons | Serious Premier League financial breaches |
| Appeal deadline | October 2 | City intend to challenge the verdict |
The Commission ruled that City had breached the League’s financial regulations and had also committed most of the alleged failures to cooperate with the investigation.
Its findings centre on commercial agreements involving several sponsors. The Commission concluded that the arrangements were not genuine at their stated value: sponsor companies paid only part of the declared fees, while the balance was funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, the club’s owner during the period.
That structure was found to have inflated City’s reported income while lowering its apparent expenditure by more than £900 million. The Commission said the objective was to present compliance with financial controls, while accounts submitted to auditors and football authorities did not reflect the club’s true financial position.
The ruling concluded that City had intended to get around Premier League rules. It also found multiple failures in the club’s obligations of cooperation and utmost good faith during the four-year investigation, saying there had been sustained attempts to obstruct and frustrate the process.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters described the decision as establishing the facts of City’s conduct over the period. He said the club had repeatedly broken League rules for almost a decade and called the disciplinary case and verdict the biggest in Premier League history.
City to appeal verdict
City have rejected the findings and said they will use every available regulatory and legal route to contest them. The club said it was disappointed and surprised by the Commission’s opinion, maintained its innocence and insisted it holds a substantial body of evidence supporting its case.
The club also argued that major parts of the Premier League process remain unresolved. City said the opinion contains material errors in law, principle and fact, and that it is unsafe.
What happens next is a private sanctions hearing. Possible penalties include a major fine, a points deduction or automatic relegation. City have until October 2 to submit their appeal formally, ensuring the case will remain at the centre of English football in the coming weeks.
