🎧
Listen to this article
The Premier League stated on Tuesday that Manchester City have been found guilty of serious breaches regarding financial regulations across a nine-season period spanning 2009 to 2018.
An independent commission established that the club arranged sham contracts with several commercial partners to artificially inflate revenue, concealing their true financial state to bypass Premier League and UEFA spending restrictions.
Furthermore, the panel found Manchester City guilty on most counts related to failing to cooperate with the league’s official investigation.
Although no punishment has been handed down yet, Manchester City announced plans to challenge the ruling.
“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,” Premier League chairman Richard Masters said in a statement.
“Now we have the commission’s decision, we are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the league, our clubs and fans.”
Following the 2008 acquisition by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, vice-president and deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Manchester City rose to become the dominant footballing force in England.
Over the past 15 years, the club has claimed eight Premier League titles, four FA Cups, seven League Cups, and secured its maiden Champions League trophy in 2023.
However, the Premier League formally charged the club in 2023 after completing an extensive inquiry into the allegations.
The independent commission opened hearings in September 2024, concluding its proceedings three months later.
“Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe,” the club said in a statement.
No Comments