Football’s longest-running legal saga has reached a verdict, and it’s a heavy one for Manchester City.
An independent Commission has found the club guilty on every charge relating to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules across nine seasons. It also upheld most of the charges over City’s failure to cooperate with the League’s investigation.
What the Commission found
The ruling covers the period from 2009/10 to 2017/18, and its findings are severe:
- Sham contracts. City arranged agreements with commercial partners that misrepresented the true deal between the parties. It also relied on similar agreements made by others. The effect was to artificially inflate revenue and cut costs.
- Misstated accounts. The club filed inaccurate accounts and hid its real financial position from its auditors and from football regulators.
- Spending breaches. City was found to be significantly in breach of both Premier League and UEFA spending limits.
- Failure to cooperate. During the investigation, City breached its duties of cooperation and utmost good faith towards the League. Three of the four alleged breaches were upheld.
What happens next
City has the right to appeal and has until Friday 2 October to do so. Reports suggest the club intends to. The Premier League Board wants the full process, including appeals and the publication of the relevant decisions, wrapped up as quickly as possible.
No punishment has been announced yet. Under the League’s rulebook, the available sanctions range from a fine to a points deduction to expulsion. The sanction is expected to be decided by the same Commission after a separate hearing, and its timing will likely depend on how any appeal plays out. The Press Democrat
Why it matters
The charges were first brought in February 2023, and the hearing itself ran from September to December 2024. Since Abu Dhabi ownership took over in 2008, City has become English football’s dominant force, winning multiple league titles and the Champions League. Rival fans, clubs and pundits will now scrutinise every trophy from that era.
City has always denied wrongdoing, arguing it has a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence.” The club has beaten UEFA-related accusations before: a two-year European ban was overturned at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020. An appeal here could stretch the story out for months.
The big questions
- Will City appeal by Friday?
- How severe will the sanction be?
- Could past titles come under fresh scrutiny?
- What does this mean for Pep Guardiola and the squad?
One thing is certain: this story is far from over.
