Man City found guilty of breaking Premier League rules for nearly a decade
Story By Staff Reporter
Manchester City could face heavy punishment after an independent commission ruled that the club systematically broke the Premier League’s financial rules over nine seasons, from 2009-10 to 2017-18.
The commission upheld 114 of the 115 charges, including every financial charge and all but one of the charges over failing to cooperate with the league’s investigation. It found City had arranged “sham” contracts with commercial partners to inflate revenue and cut costs, filed misstated accounts, and concealed the true state of their finances from auditors and regulators. It also found City had significantly breached both Premier League and UEFA spending limits.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters called the case and the ruling the most significant in the league’s history. The charges were laid in February 2023 after a lengthy investigation, and the commission’s 42-day hearing ended in December 2024. The verdict took a further 21 months, which the commission itself called regrettable, citing about 7,000 pages of evidence.
The commission found sponsors were part of a “disguised funding scheme,” paying only a portion of their stated fees. It also found the club made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the league’s investigation.
Sanctions will be decided at a separate, private hearing before the same commission. Possible penalties include fines, points deductions and, at the extreme, expulsion from the league.
City say they are “disappointed and surprised” and maintain they are innocent. They have confirmed they will appeal, and the deadline is Friday, October 2. Any appeal would go to a new three-person commission.
Reporting based on original coverage by ESPN, Sky Sports, CBS, ABC and Yahoo.
