An independent commission has ruled that Manchester City used sham arrangements to distort their finances across nine Premier League seasons. The club faced 115 charges covering sponsorship income, player payments, operating costs, and failure to cooperate with investigators. The commission found charges relating to serious financial breaches proven, alongside the majority of the 35 charges concerning the club's failure to cooperate with the Premier League's investigation.
The total value of financial distortion identified exceeded £900 million. Manchester City recorded £949.94 million in sponsorship income from Abu Dhabi-linked commercial partners across the nine seasons. However, the commission found that only £119.25 million of that sum, roughly 12.6%, was actually paid by the sponsors. The remaining £830.69 million reportedly came from Abu Dhabi United Group, the company linked to owner Sheikh Mansour.
The commission also found separate agreements that allowed City to record lower operating expenses than they had actually incurred. Together with the sponsorship arrangements, the Premier League says these structures artificially shifted the club's finances by more than £900 million. Had the accounts been accurate, City would have breached both Premier League spending rules and UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations by a significant margin.
An entity called Fordham, which purchased image rights belonging to City players, was also found to have been funded by Abu Dhabi United Group. The arrangement formed part of the broader financial structure the commission examined and helped present a misleading picture of the club's actual financial position. This was one of the five key things Manchester City were found to have misrepresented or concealed.
Former City manager Roberto Mancini was reportedly paid £1.45 million annually under his City contract, while a separate agreement with Al Jazira, another club linked to Sheikh Mansour, allegedly paid him £1.75 million per year for consultancy work. Mancini has since acknowledged having a "double contract" but maintained the matter was not his problem and insisted City were not guilty.
Of the original 115 charges, 35 related to City's alleged failure to cooperate with an investigation that ran from December 2018 to February 2023. The commission found the majority of those proven, and its published findings stated that evidence from several key City witnesses was false in material respects. Possible punishments for Manchester City could range from a points deduction or fine to expulsion from the Premier League.
Manchester City deny wrongdoing, and the Premier League has not publicly confirmed the commission’s findings. The club has until October 2, 2026, to appeal the verdict. The reported verdict could lead to significant sanctions for Manchester City, who are one of the top teams in the Premier League. The club's financial misconduct has raised questions about the integrity of the Premier League and the effectiveness of its financial regulations.
Key points
- Manchester City were found to have misrepresented finances over nine seasons, inflating sponsorship income and understating operating costs.
- The club faced 115 charges, including 35 related to failure to cooperate with the Premier League's investigation.
- Possible punishments for Manchester City could range from a points deduction or fine to expulsion from the Premier League.
