The Premier League has issued a statement confirming that an independent Commission has found Manchester City guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the league's financial rules over a nine-season period, as well as the majority of charges concerning its failure to cooperate with the investigation.
The charges, brought by the Premier League in February 2023, were upheld by a three-person independent panel. City strongly deny the allegations and are expected to appeal the verdict.
Findings of the independent Commission
The Commission found that between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, Manchester City arranged 'sham' contracts with commercial partners to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs, filed misstated accounts, and concealed the true state of its finances from auditors and regulators. The club was also found to be significantly in breach of both Premier League and UEFA spending limits.
The Commission determined that these schemes inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million during the affected period. It concluded that 'by its conduct the club clearly intended to circumvent the PL Rules'.
Premier League chief executive responds
Richard Masters, Chief Executive of the Premier League, said: "The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade."
Masters added: "This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history. There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches."
City's response and next steps
Following reports of the guilty verdict on September 25, City released a statement via a spokesperson, reaffirming its position from February 2023 and noting the process remains subject to strict confidentiality.
Around 24 hours later, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak published an open letter to fans, stating: "The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club's innocence is just as strong as when this began."
The club's original 2023 statement said: "Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with."
The Premier League has said it is committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process to provide certainty for the league, clubs, and fans.
