In Copenhagen, where Manchester City’s executives joined the wider club gathering, Ferran Soriano chose not to speak publicly at the meeting. The club’s chief executive instead addressed City staff by video, delivering a firm rejection of the Premier League’s financial case at a moment when the champions face profound uncertainty over their future in English football.
Soriano told employees that the allegations rest on an untrue claim that money from City’s owners was routed into the club through Abu Dhabi-based sponsorship deals. He said the club had submitted extensive material to the Premier League commission, including bank records, transfer documentation and witness testimony, which it believes proves the owner’s funds did not enter the club through those arrangements and will not do so.
“The entire case is built on a false allegation,” Soriano said, arguing that each accusation against City stems from that central premise. He said the commission had, after more than two years, accepted what he described as the Premier League’s “conspiracy theory” while disregarding evidence provided by the club. Soriano added that both City and its legal team were surprised by the conclusion.
The Premier League has found City guilty on most of the charges first brought in February 2023. The next stage is for an independent commission to decide the punishment, with possible outcomes ranging from a financial penalty to points deductions, relegation or expulsion from the competition. City have already made clear that they will challenge the ruling, and Soriano confirmed that appeal; the club has until 2 October to lodge it.
