Giles Turner and David Hellier
Manchester City has been found guilty of nearly all 115 charges for breaking Premier League rules, in a seismic ruling that could be a massive hit to one of the world’s top football clubs, according to a person familiar with the process.
Manchester City will appeal, according to a person familiar with the situation.
“The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality,” Manchester City said in a statement. “As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.
“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”
The Premier League declined to comment.
This ruling has the potential to be a massive hit to the club. Punishments could include a points deduction in the standings, a fine or even expulsion from the Premier League.
The verdict will also have repercussions far beyond the world of English football. Manchester City is owned by an Emirati royal, and has become one of the most successful sporting investments from the Middle East.
Since Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group bought the club in 2008, the team went on to win eight English Premier League titles, the European Champions League and until last season looked unassailable.
City top the Premier League after winning each of their opening five matches.
The charges Manchester City faced included allegations of providing false financial information and receiving inflated sponsorship revenue from firms linked to the club’s owners. A three-person independent panel oversaw the review of the charges. The hearing began on September 16, 2024, and concluded nearly three months later on December 6, 2024.
Among the most serious allegations was that City failed in each season from 2009-10 to 2017-18 to provide accurate financial information giving a “true and fair view” of revenues, including sponsorship income, and operating costs.
The Athletic reported on Manchester City being found guilty earlier.
The stakes are particularly high because other clubs have already faced sporting sanctions for breaching financial regulations.
Everton were docked a total of eight points during the 2023-24 season after two separate breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, while Nottingham Forest were deducted four points for a breach of the same rules in March 2024.
Newcastle United narrowly avoided potential sanctions after selling players before a June 30, 2024, financial reporting deadline to comply with spending regulations.
The allegations against City are far broader and cover more than a decade, making the case unprecedented in scale. Lawyers, club executives and supporters across the league have spent years awaiting a verdict.
City were banned from the Champions League for two years by European football’s governing body UEFA in 2020 after being found to have overstated sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016. The club, however, successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which overturned the ban.
Bloomberg, Reuters
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