Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League for breaches of financial regulations. The independent commission delivered the verdict on Friday, September 25, more than three years after the club were first charged.
Only one charge was dismissed. Sanctions have not yet been decided, and every option — from a heavy points deduction to possible relegation — remains on the table. The club are expected to appeal.
How We Got Here
The Premier League charged City with 115 breaches in February 2023 after a four-year investigation into the club’s finances between 2009 and 2018. The case grew out of leaked documents published by German newspaper Der Spiegel in 2018 that appeared to show inflated sponsorship deals and undeclared payments.
The charges covered nine seasons and fell into several categories: failing to provide accurate financial information, incomplete details of player and manager remuneration, breaches of UEFA Financial Fair Play rules, breaches of the Premier League’s own Profitability and Sustainability Rules, and failure to cooperate fully with the investigation.
An independent commission heard the case over 12 weeks between September and December 2024. The verdict has now landed.
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City’s Response
Manchester City have always denied any wrongdoing. In a statement issued after the verdict, a club spokesperson said: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the Club’s statement of February 2023.”
The club added that it had “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.”
What Happens Next
The independent commission will now move to the sanctions stage. Possible punishments range from a multi-point deduction to a transfer ban, a heavy fine, or even expulsion from the Premier League. Nothing has been ruled out.
City are expected to appeal the findings. That process could take months and will keep the club’s future under a cloud for the rest of the season and beyond.
This is the biggest financial case English football has ever seen. For a club that has dominated the Premier League for more than a decade, the verdict is a seismic blow — and the punishment still to come could rewrite the record books.
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Nimi Jack
