In Manchester, where the club’s modern ascent has often been measured against the arguments around its finances, Khaldoon Al Mubarak has written directly to City supporters after the club was found guilty of 114 charges linked to Financial Fair Play breaches.
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The Manchester City chairman acknowledged the unease created by Friday’s development, but insisted that the Premier League process is far from complete and said the club’s position has not shifted.
Al Mubarak told supporters that many of them would have spent the afternoon answering questions from friends, relatives and colleagues, adding that he had faced the same conversations with his own family. His response, he said, was that the Premier League case still had a considerable distance to run and that City remained fully determined to establish its innocence.
Speculation has gathered around the possible consequences for the club, ranging from financial penalties to a major points deduction or, at the most severe end, removal from the Premier League. The chairman urged fans not to treat those scenarios as settled outcomes while the legal procedure remains unresolved.
“There has been plenty of noise and some people have rushed to their own conclusions, but nothing has changed,” Al Mubarak said in his message. He pointed to previous challenges overcome by the club and warned that City would not allow those seeking to halt its progress to succeed.
Al Mubarak again maintained that Manchester City considers itself entirely innocent of the allegations. He said the club cannot yet publicly set out the full case supporting that stance because of the confidentiality governing the legal proceedings.
“The strict confidentiality of this process, and our commitment to respecting it, mean I cannot do that at this stage,” he said, seeking to reassure supporters while the Premier League procedure continues.
