There is no Ligue 1 fixture in this case, only a Premier League verdict with consequences still waiting in the dark: Manchester City have vowed to appeal after an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 financial breaches.
The Ligue 1 news
Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has told club staff that the English champions will fight the decision, insisting the allegations against the club are without foundation.
The ruling, confirmed on Tuesday, followed a case centred on City’s financial reporting over nine years. An independent panel concluded that the club had inflated revenue and cut reported costs by more than £900 million, a figure exceeding €1 billion.
The findings said the financial advantage was created through sham sponsorship arrangements, with the deals mainly funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, the club’s owner.
City have not yet learned their punishment. A further hearing before the independent commission will determine the sanctions, while the club prepares its challenge to the original decision.
Manchester City prepare appeal
Soriano said the entire Premier League case rested on an allegation that personal funds from the owner had been covertly channelled into the club through Abu Dhabi sponsorships.
“That allegation is simply untrue,” Soriano said. He maintained that City had submitted decisive evidence, including bank records, transfer documentation and witness testimony, to show the money did not come from the owner.
The City executive argued that the commission had reached an incorrect conclusion by disregarding material presented by the club. He said the legal team would appeal on what it considers major errors in law, principle and fact.
Soriano also described the decision as supporting City’s belief that the Premier League case was a conspiracy against the club. He said the other accusations flowed from what City views as the central false claim.
For now, City’s guilt finding stands, but the scale of any penalty remains unresolved as the appeal process begins.
