Manchester City have been found guilty of all financial charges brought by the Premier League, with an independent commission confirming the breaches on Tuesday. The panel found that the club broke 114 regulations over nine years between 2009 and 2018, with City originally charged in 2023. The club, which has always denied wrongdoing, is understood to be preparing an appeal.
Reaction from football figures
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC Radio 5 Live that City's breaches have "gone far beyond the worst-case scenario that anybody initially envisaged." He added: "If you Google what the word 'sham' means, I'm getting the words 'fake, false, fraud'. It's very, very significant. I think the quantum of money involved – £900million over a nine-year period – is a staggering misstatement, and it looks like it's been a corroborative fraud."
Former City chairman David Bernstein called the findings "damning beyond belief" and said "the sanctions cannot just be financial." He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "My immediate thoughts are, should the board continue? Should the people involved be suspended immediately? Very, very serious. I think it's really terrible."
Government and political response
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be "really concerned to lose" City's owners, who have invested heavily since their arrival in 2008. He told the BBC: "They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester. Obviously, the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is."
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Channel 5 News that a club can be expelled from the Premier League if such allegations are upheld. She said: "I don't want to pre-empt any kind of appeal process, and they are entitled to a fair hearing. But what I would say is that the ultimate sanction is very serious indeed."
Club statement and manager's message
Manchester City released a statement saying the club is "disappointed and surprised" by the commission's opinion and that "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions." The club said it will pursue appeal avenues, arguing the opinion contains "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."
Manager Pep Guardiola wrote on X: "I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all."
Potential sanctions and next steps
Speculation is growing over whether City could be stripped of titles from the period in question, with relegation, a points deduction and a fine also possible. The club has until Friday to submit an appeal. Senior football figures told BBC Sport that punishment should be handed down before the end of this season, with one club official saying: "It benefits everyone for this to be resolved as quickly as possible."
The Independent Football Regulator said the verdict "raises serious issues" and that it has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher wrote in the Daily Telegraph that City's owners must sell up, saying: "The scale of the institutional cheating and lack of co-operation in the investigation means the position of all City executives involved is untenable."
