Manchester City have responded forcefully to a Premier League ruling on financial-rule breaches, insisting the club is innocent and preparing to challenge the decision through every available legal and regulatory channel.
The dispute reaches back across nine seasons, with the allegations concerning financial regulations between 2009-10 and 2017-18. After Premier League chief executive Richard Masters stated that City had been found guilty of systematic breaches, the club issued a statement expressing both surprise and disappointment at the outcome.
City reject finding of guilt
Manchester City said the conclusion against them was flawed and maintained that they had not committed the offences alleged during the long-running process.
“The Club is innocent of the charges,” City said, adding that it would act decisively, and where required proactively, before the relevant legal and regulatory bodies.
The Manchester club also argued that the opinion behind the decision contains significant mistakes in law, principle and fact. It described the finding as unsafe and said it would pursue all legal options open to it.
October 2 appeal deadline
City have until 2 October to lodge an appeal against the Premier League’s determination, a step that could prove central in avoiding or reducing any sanctions arising from the case.
The club have consistently denied breaking the league’s financial rules throughout the period under examination. Their defence has relied on evidence submitted during proceedings that stretched over several years, with the volume of documents and complexity of the case contributing to its lengthy resolution.
For City, the matter now moves from the Premier League’s finding into a fresh legal phase, with the club determined to contest a verdict it says is materially wrong.
