Manchester City have lodged an appeal against the Premier League's guilty verdict on financial breaches, with officials now working to conclude the case. An independent panel found the club to have made infractions between 2009 and 2018. The Premier League, in theory, have a strict deadline to meet after the appeal, but matters could change.
A statement from the club alleged that the Abu Dhabi United Group club had 'artificially inflated' revenue to the tune of £900million to comply with regulations, and accused them of "sham" sponsorship deals. City have now confirmed that they have challenged the panel's findings, as they look to prove the innocence they have claimed throughout the entirety of the saga.
Club and FA statements
A statement released on Friday morning read: "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 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."
The FA also released a statement of their own on Friday, explaining: "The Independent Commission’s decision has significant implications for the integrity of the game. We are carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate. As proceedings between the Premier League and Manchester City Football Club remain ongoing, we do not intend to comment further at this stage. We will, however, continue to monitor developments closely."
Deadline and potential changes
As a result of the appeal, the Premier League now theoretically have a finite amount of time to reach a final verdict. That's because the rules and regulations state that any appeal hearing must take place within 12 weeks of a challenge being submitted. A decision is also needed from the appeals board no more than 30 days following the conclusion of the hearing. All things considered, it means that the Premier League should reach a final verdict no later than January 23, 2027.
However, reports suggest that another section of the Premier League code cites how the regulation can be disapplied if necessary. It is also claimed that said rule was only written this summer. If true, it means that the Premier League could ultimately take as much time as they see fit to scrape every inch of the case with a fine-toothed comb. That would, however, once again force football fans and other teams into a lengthy wait to well and truly learn City's fate.
No CAS route for City
The club are, however, unable to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), due to another ruling from the Premier League. The English top flight's rulebook stipulates that any disputes or appeals must be handled in England and Wales. Given CAS is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, it means that City will be unable to utilise the governing body if they are dissatisfied with the league's findings.
The Manchester Evening News has reached out to the Premier League for guidance.
