In Manchester, a case that has shadowed City’s rise across England and Europe has reached a decisive reported stage: an independent Premier League commission has found the club responsible for all but one of 115 alleged breaches of the competition’s financial rules. No punishment has yet been announced, and City are expected to challenge the verdict.
A long-running case reaches its reported verdict
The charges were first brought in February 2023, after a four-year Premier League investigation into conduct said to span nine seasons. The matter was referred to an independent commission, with the alleged financial-rule breaches dating from 2009 to 2018.
At the centre of the case is the league’s requirement that clubs provide information giving a fair and accurate account of their financial position. The commission is reported to have ruled against City on allegations involving inaccurate financial disclosures, inflated sponsorship arrangements connected to the club’s Abu Dhabi ownership, and undeclared payments relating to players and former manager Roberto Mancini.
The areas covered by the charges
- City were found to have failed to supply accurate information on their finances from 2009-10 through 2017-18.
- Details concerning managerial pay were allegedly omitted between 2009-10 and 2012-13, when Mancini was in charge.
- Information on player remuneration was said to have been incomplete from 2010-11 to 2015-16.
- The findings also concern UEFA licensing and Financial Fair Play requirements over the period from 2013-14 to 2017-18.
- Premier League profitability and sustainability rules were reportedly not met between 2015-16 and 2017-18.
- City were also found to have failed to cooperate fully with the Premier League inquiry from 2018 onwards, including by not willingly providing documents and information.
Sanctions and appeal still to come
Although the commission has reportedly upheld nearly every charge, the consequences have not been set. That leaves the scale of any sporting or financial sanction unresolved, while an appeal by City is widely anticipated.
The club have consistently rejected wrongdoing. A City spokesperson said the Premier League process was not finished, pointing to further significant stages and strict confidentiality requirements.
“Throughout eight years, the club has followed due process diligently,” the spokesperson said, adding that City had expected the Premier League board and its executives to act as an independent, neutral and fair regulator, without partisan influence.
For now, the judgment opens another chapter rather than closing the file. The eventual penalty, and the outcome of any appeal, will determine how deeply the case affects a club whose modern success has carried far beyond Manchester into the wider European game.
