The English Premier League has confirmed that an independent Commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of its financial rules over a nine-season period. The breaches occurred between 2009/10 and 2017/18, and included arranging 'sham' contracts with commercial partners, filing misstated accounts, and concealing the true state of its finances from auditors and regulators.
The Commission found that Manchester City's sponsors paid only part of the agreed fees, with the balance funded by the club's owner, Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG). This allowed City to record lower operating expenses than it incurred. The schemes were meant to inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million so City would appear to comply with the rules.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said the decision "details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade" and "vindicates" the League's decision to pursue the case. Masters described the disciplinary case as "the most significant in Premier League history". The sanction will be decided at a separate hearing before the Commission, which will remain private until publication is permitted.
Manchester City have until Friday, 2 October to appeal the decision. La Liga president Javier Tebas has called for the "most severe sanction" available, saying that breaking the rules "for more than 10 years, however minor the breaches may have been, is very serious". Tebas emphasized that severe punishment is necessary to set an example and because the rules were broken.
Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino described City's success as "a period of deception". He expressed concerns about the impact on sporting fairness and questioned what fitting sanction could follow. Pochettino suggested that an economic punishment or docking points could be considered, but acknowledged that it is "really hard" to determine a suitable penalty.
Manchester City have strenuously denied the charges, and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has expressed confidence that the club will be vindicated. The Commission found that City made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the League's four-year investigation. The Premier League is committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process.
The case has significant implications for Manchester City and the Premier League. The outcome may influence future cases and the enforcement of financial regulations in the league. Key stakeholders will be watching closely as the process unfolds and a sanction is determined.
Key points
- Manchester City found guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules
- The breaches occurred over a nine-season period, from 2009/10 to 2017/18
- The sanction will be decided at a separate hearing before the Commission
