Manchester City have been found guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules following an independent Commission’s examination of the club’s finances over nine seasons.
The Commission found City guilty of all charges relating to serious financial-rule breaches between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, as well as the majority of allegations concerning the club’s co-operation with the Premier League’s investigation. The ruling was published by the Premier League via a statement this evening.
The decision does not, however, conclude the wider disciplinary process, as The Citizens have rejected the findings and confirmed that they intend to pursue an appeal, while the sanction to follow the Commission’s findings has yet to be determined.
The Premier League said the independent Commission found that Manchester City used what it described as ‘sham’ commercial arrangements involving several sponsors.
According to the Commission’s findings, the arrangements misrepresented the agreements between the parties and were used to artificially increase the club’s recorded revenues while reducing its reported costs.
The Commission also found that City submitted misstated financial accounts and concealed the true position of its finances from auditors and football regulators.
The Premier League said the arrangements affected the club’s reported finances by more than £900 million over the relevant period.
It said the consequence was that City failed to accurately report income and expenditure for the purposes of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules and UEFA’s financial regulations.
Reuters reported that the findings followed a four-year Premier League investigation, with formal charges brought against City in February 2023.
The Commission separately considered Manchester City’s conduct during the Premier League’s investigation.
Of four alleged breaches relating to the club’s duties of co-operation and utmost good faith, the Commission upheld three, according to the Premier League.
The Commission concluded that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the PL investigation’.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters described the ruling as a significant moment for the competition’s disciplinary process.
‘The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade.’
Masters added that the sanction phase had not yet been decided and that the League intended to move through the remaining process.
Manchester City has strongly disputed the Commission’s conclusions.
In a statement released after the decision, the club said it was ‘disappointed and surprised’ by the Commission’s opinion and maintained that it was innocent of the accusations brought by the Premier League.
The club said it had a ‘comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence’ supporting its position and confirmed that it would pursue the available appeal avenues.
City also argued that the Commission’s opinion contains what it described as ‘clear material errors, of law, principle and fact’, and said the decision was unsafe.
The club further stated that it had respected due process throughout the eight-year process and questioned whether the Premier League had acted as an independent and impartial regulator.
The Commission’s findings and any punishment are being treated as separate stages of the process.
The Premier League said the sanction will be considered at a further hearing before the independent Commission. That hearing will remain private and confidential until publication of its outcome is permitted under the League’s rules.
Potential sanctions available under the Premier League’s disciplinary framework include fines, points deductions and other sporting measures.
However, no sanction has been announced, and it would be premature to state what punishment City will receive.
Manchester City has until this Friday, 2 October to exercise its right to appeal the Commission’s findings.
The Premier League said its intention is for the remaining process, including any appeal and publication of relevant decisions, to be concluded as soon as possible.
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