Key facts
- Manchester City appointed Claire Catlin as chief financial officer.
- The Premier League found Manchester City guilty of all charges of breaching financial rules over nine years.
- The club allegedly inflated revenues by over £900 million through sham contracts.
- Manchester City will appeal the verdict, citing material errors.
- Some witnesses for Manchester City provided false evidence to the commission.
- The club operated a 'disguised funding scheme' and hid costs totaling over £900 million.
Manchester City has appointed Claire Catlin as its new chief financial officer just days before the Premier League announced the club had been found guilty of numerous charges related to financial rule breaches over a nine-year period. The independent commission determined that the club had artificially inflated revenues by over £900 million and filed inaccurate accounts to conceal breaches of spending limits.
The charges included arranging "sham contracts" with commercial partners and "sham" image rights deals with players and former manager Roberto Mancini, with the remainder of sponsorship fees allegedly funded by the Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owns the club. The commission also found that Manchester City had operated a "disguised funding scheme" worth £830.6 million and hidden costs by a further £70 million.
Manchester City has stated its intention to appeal the decision by Friday's deadline, citing "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact." Chief executive Ferran Soriano described the verdict as based on a "Premier League conspiracy theory." The commission also noted that evidence provided by some key witnesses for the club was false, stating that some had given evidence "they knew to be untrue and so had been dishonest."
The Premier League described the case as the "most significant in Premier League history" and indicated that an unprecedented punishment, likely including a points deduction leading to relegation, is expected. The independent commission's redacted 40-page decision followed a 42-day hearing that concluded in December 2024.