The Premier League has officially announced that Manchester City have been found guilty of committing severe financial violations spanning nine seasons, in a decision described by the league’s Chief Executive as the most significant in the history of the competition.
An independent commission confirmed that all charges relating to serious financial misconduct between the 2009–2010 and 2017–2018 seasons were substantiated. The club was also convicted on three out of four charges regarding a failure to cooperate with the league’s investigation.
The ruling revealed that Manchester City entered into “sham” contracts with several commercial partners as part of a covert funding system, submitted inaccurate financial accounts, and concealed the true state of their finances from auditors and regulatory bodies. The club also significantly exceeded spending limits enforced by both the Premier League and UEFA.
According to the commission, these arrangements resulted in artificially inflating the club’s revenues and understating costs by over £900 million. The investigation further concluded that Manchester City made a “coordinated effort” to obstruct the Premier League inquiry, which was originally launched in December 2018.
“The decision demonstrates how the club systematically breached Premier League rules over nearly a full decade,” stated Richard Masters, Chief Executive of the Premier League. “This disciplinary case and decision are the most significant in Premier League history. Important matters remain to be settled, most notably the sanctions.”
Manchester City responded with an official statement, expressing frustration and surprise: “The club is disappointed and astonished by the opinion of the Premier League commission. The club is innocent of these charges, supported by a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence. We will pursue available appeal avenues, as the decision contains clear material errors of law, principle, and fact, rendering it unreliable.”
Manchester City have until Friday, October 2, to lodge their appeal, while potential penalties will be determined in a separate, confidential hearing. Available sanctions range from formal reprimands and unlimited fines to compensation for affected clubs, points deductions, or expulsion from the Premier League. While British media outlets have discussed the potential stripping of previous titles, it has not been officially confirmed as a scheduled or finalized penalty.
