Manchester City has been found guilty by an independent panel of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching, following a four-year investigation by the Premier League. Sources confirm that the club was found guilty on almost all charges, encompassing over 100 rule breaches related to financial fair play. The club is surprised by the timing of the news, stating the process is ongoing, and intends to appeal against the verdict, confident in their innocence. The charges, which date back to a period between 2009 and 2018, include 54 counts of failing to provide accurate financial information and 14 counts of failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments.
The unprecedented catalogue of charges spans five distinct areas of alleged rule-breaking. City failed to provide accurate financial information to the league for nine seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18, and also failed to provide full details of payments in contracts for manager Roberto Mancini from 2009-10 to 2012-13. Furthermore, they did not include full payment details in player contracts from 2010-11 to 2015-16. The club also breached UEFA's financial fair play regulations from 2013-14 to 2017-18 and the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations from 2015-16 to 2017-18. A significant accusation is that City failed to cooperate with the league's investigation throughout, from its inception in 2018-19 to the 2022-23 season.
While sanctions have not yet been decided, a points deduction appears inevitable, subject to City's appeal. Given the scale and severity of the breaches, which are considered far more significant than those that led to points deductions for Everton and Nottingham Forest, a substantial penalty is expected. Everything from fines and significant points deductions to even demotion from the Premier League is on the table. The outcome of a sanction hearing, which could be months away, and the subsequent appeal will be crucial for the integrity of the competition and could lead to other clubs seeking compensation, potentially amounting to tens of millions of dollars for lost Champions League revenues and player bonuses.
