Key facts
- Manchester City found guilty of all charges by Premier League commission.
- Charges relate to financial breaches between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
- Club used "sham" commercial arrangements to inflate revenues.
- Manchester City denies accusations and will appeal.
- Ownership transformed the club into a global powerhouse, accumulating goodwill.
- Fans face dissonance between ownership's actions and club's success.
The Premier League has published the core findings of an independent commission that found Manchester City Football Club guilty of numerous charges related to serious financial breaches spanning nine seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18. The commission concluded that the club used "sham" commercial arrangements to inflate revenues and reduce costs, misstated its accounts, and concealed its true financial position from auditors and regulators, with the intent to circumvent Premier League rules.
Manchester City has expressed disappointment and surprise at the decision, asserting its innocence and stating its intention to pursue all available appeal avenues. The club's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, had recently written to fans, emphasizing the club's confidence in proving its innocence and warning against those seeking to "undermine" the club, appealing to the strength of the "Manchester City family."