Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of the 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, according to bombshell reports that have rocked English football.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein and The Times both reported on Friday that the independent commission ruling on the case had gone against the club on 114 of the 115 charges, citing anonymous sources briefed on the matter. The verdict has not been officially confirmed: neither City nor the Premier League have commented on the reported outcome, sanctions have yet to be decided, and City are expected to appeal.
A case eight years in the making
The charges, referred to an independent commission in February 2023, cover the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons. Eighty relate to alleged breaches of the league’s financial regulations between 2009 and 2018, while the remaining 35 concern the club’s alleged failure to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.
The case traces back to leaked documents published by the German magazine Der Spiegel in 2018, which purported to show that City had inflated sponsorship revenue from the UAE state-controlled airline Etihad and telecoms firm Etisalat by disguising direct investment from Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Abu Dhabi United Group as income. Other documents claimed to show off-the-books payments to then-manager Roberto Mancini via consultancy fees from a club in Abu Dhabi.
The hearing before the independent commission began on 16 September 2024 and concluded on 6 December 2024.
City maintain their denial
City have consistently denied wrongdoing. A club spokesperson told The Athletic: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such, Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.”
“The club have diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence,” the spokesperson added.
The club has previously insisted it holds a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” of its innocence. In 2020 it overturned a two-year UEFA Champions League ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where most of the alleged breaches were found to be either not established or “time-barred” — though no such time limit applies in the Premier League case.
Sanctions still to be decided
Reports suggest the possible sanctions could include points deductions, financial penalties, and even the stripping of titles or relegation from the Premier League. But these remain possibilities rather than certainties: the commission has yet to rule on punishment, and any adverse decision is expected to be appealed by the club — a process that could run for many more months.
The story has been covered by Reuters and Al Jazeera, both citing The Athletic’s reporting.
What it could mean for London
Although the charges concern a Manchester club, any fallout would be felt keenly in the capital. London’s Premier League sides — Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham — all competed against City during the seasons under scrutiny, and any eventual sanction would inevitably colour how those campaigns are remembered.
For now, though, the London football conversation remains focused closer to home: from the huge policing operation laid on for Millwall’s first meeting with West Ham in 14 years to the six arrests made at the return derby at The Den, with road closures and bus diversions affecting supporters travelling across the capital this weekend.
Crucially, nothing is decided yet. No sanctions have been imposed, no titles have been stripped, and City’s expected appeal means one of the biggest stories in Premier League history is far from over.
