After more than two years of proceedings, a judgment has been delivered regarding the 115 charges of Premier League financial rule breaches leveled against Manchester City. The verdict arrives following a four-year investigation and a 10-week hearing that commenced on September 16, 2024. Reports indicate the club has been found guilty of almost all charges, though the process is far from concluded.
The allegations, brought forward in February 2023, concern incidents occurring between 2009 and 2018. The charges break down as follows: 54 counts of failing to provide accurate financial information; 14 counts regarding inaccurate player and manager payment details; five breaches of UEFA’s financial fair play regulations; seven violations of Premier League profit and sustainability rules; and 35 counts of failing to cooperate with investigations between December 2018 and February 2023.
Manchester City has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The controversy initially gained prominence after German publication Der Spiegel released leaked documents in November 2018, alleging the club inflated sponsorship revenue from Etihad and Etisalat by disguising direct investments from Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) as sponsorship income. Additional claims included secret off-the-books payments to former manager Roberto Mancini and underreporting player wages.
While the initial verdict addresses guilt, the specific sanctions remain pending. An independent panel will determine the punishment, which could include point deductions, financial fines, or exclusion from the Premier League. Exclusion would result in relegation to a lower division.
City issued a statement expressing frustration over the leak, reiterating their commitment to due process and their expectation of impartial treatment by the league. The club is expected to appeal any sanctions, with legal representation led by Lord Pannick KC, who previously successfully appealed a European ban for the club in 2020. However, any appeal would not go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
If titles are stripped, potential beneficiaries could include Manchester United for the 2011-12 and 2017-18 Premier League titles, Liverpool for the 2013-14 title, Stoke City for the 2010-11 FA Cup, Sunderland for the 2013-14 EFL Cup, Liverpool again for the 2015-16 EFL Cup, and Arsenal for the 2017-18 EFL Cup. Competing clubs may also seek compensation for lost opportunities, similar to the case where Everton was ordered to pay Burnley damages.
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