Manchester City found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules

Neither party was willing to publicly confirm the outcome on Friday with an appeal process expected to be pursued imminently by City. Two years after the hearings first began, however, there is now some clarity as to the scale of City’s rule-breaking. The 134 charges made against City cover the seasons 2009-10 to 2022-23 and cover a number of areas, with the most serious relating to claims that the club failed to provide “accurate financial information” to the league during this time. From season 2009-10 to 2022-23 inclusive City won seven Premier League titles, a Champions League, three FA Cups and six League Cups.

A City spokesperson said: “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 has 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 Premier League did not comment, citing the confidential nature of the case. Club executives are understood to have learned about the outcome following a shareholders’ meeting in central London on Thursday and subsequently signed non-disclosure agreements.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated: “I’ve only just been made aware of it – I think these are reports at this stage. But if they’re confirmed, obviously I will want to look at the report of the independent commission. People shouldn’t jump to those kind of conclusions. I know, this has been a long process between the club and the Premier League. I think quite a contested process. So I don’t think it’s as simple as jumping to conclusions. I think we would all need to study the independent commission’s report in some considerable detail before reaching any conclusions.”

The verdict was reached more than three and a half years after the 134 charges were first brought and more than two years since disciplinary hearings began. According to the Premier League rulebook, the appeal process has a stricter time frame, whereby any party who wishes to appeal a decision by a judicial panel must do so by email within 14 days of a decision being announced. Under rule W.86 any hearing should conclude no longer than 12 weeks after the first appeal is submitted. Any decision by the appeal board must also be published, alongside full written reasons, within 30 days of the conclusion of the hearing.

Should City fail in their appeal, the judicial panel would then be expected to produce its verdict on the level of sanction applied to the club. Premier League rule W.64 describes the list of punishments available to a panel. Alongside levying a fine, any disciplinary committee could first suspend a club from competition, or levy a points deduction, or in the most extreme circumstances expel a club from competition altogether.