Man City found guilty of Premier League charges and ‘overstating income by £830m’

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Manchester City have been found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period.

An independent commission, which was appointed following a four-year investigation to rule over the charges which stretch between 2009 and 2018, ruled that the current Premier League leaders had “sham contracts” arranged for a number of its commercial partners.

The findings also detail how City “relied on sham agreements to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs,” while the club reacted to the verdict by underlining they were “disappointed and surprised by the opinion.”

And while sanctions are yet to be decided, the verdict, which was widely reported last Friday, has now been confirmed.

A Premier League statement read: “An independent Commission has found Manchester City FC guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a 9-season period, and the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.

“The independent Commission found that Manchester City arranged ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors during the period, which were part of a disguised funding scheme, whereby those companies were only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.”

A scathing report from the independent commission also concluded that witnesses had “given evidence at the hearing that they knew to be untrue and so had been dishonest.”

The verdict is counter to the strong statements from chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and CEO Ferran Soriano, who adamantly voiced their confidence in City’s innocence.

City stated that “the Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums.

“The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. 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 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.”

And despite stating Manchester City had until Friday, 2 October to appeal, the club confirmed in a statement that they will “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 Premier League released a 40-page document with details surrounding the case, concerning the hearing dates from 16 September to 31 October 2024, titled: “The Football Association, Premier League Limited and Manchester City Football Club Limited.”

City have been accused of not acting in “utmost good faith” while also failing to “provide a true and fair view of the Club’s financial position,” with the commission finding that their income over eight seasons was “hugely overstated by over £830m”.

While the independent commission also found that “the club made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation” and “breached duties of co-operation.”

Part of the findings concerned Man City’s fear that they would exceed a record single season financial loss, held by Chelsea in 2006 at £140m, and that the club was “adamant it should not break.”

The Premier League began its investigation into Man City in December 2018, with a complaint subsequently issued under Section W of the League’s rules in February 2023.

And despite the independent Commission holding a 42-day hearing, which concluded in December 2024, it has taken 21 months for the verdict to arrive.

The independent Commission insisted it was “regrettable” it had taken so long to arrive at a decision, with 7,000 pages of evidence.