Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were reportedly informed of Manchester City's guilty verdict a month before it was officially announced.
The Premier League confirmed last week that City had been found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges brought against the club for financial breaches. City maintain their innocence and submitted an appeal last week before the Friday deadline, insisting they have "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" that clears them of any wrongdoing.
Clubs informed ahead of public announcement
The Telegraph reported that four Premier League clubs were informed of the verdict before the rest of the top flight were sent an email on September 25. Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham all put into motion potential legal action back in 2024, which could see the clubs entitled to compensation if the verdict against City remains guilty after the appeal.
The wait now goes on for the outcome of the appeal, which will be overseen by an independent three-person panel, with a decision expected before the end of the year. It remains to be seen what any compensation could result in, with the exact outcome of the case against City also uncertain.
Possible punishments and City's appeal
A list of punishments has been mentioned that could be given to City if their appeal is unsuccessful, including fines, transfer bans, points deductions, titles being stripped and expulsion from the Premier League.
City issued a statement last week confirming they had submitted the appeal in response to the verdict. "Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7pm on Thursday 1st October 2026 the Club lodged its comprehensive Appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter," the statement read.
"The Club's firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe. The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete."
