At England’s camp ahead of Saturday’s Nations League trip to Rijeka, Manchester City’s financial case has travelled beyond the boardroom and into the national-team conversation. Thomas Tuchel said his players have discussed the independent Premier League commission’s ruling against City, with the club having lodged a full appeal.
Key takeaways
- Manchester City have appealed after an independent Premier League panel found against them over financial-rule breaches.
- Tuchel said the matter was widely discussed during England’s time between matches, including brief conversations with the City players in camp.
- England will not change its selection policy if a player’s club status changes, Tuchel said.
- The alleged breaches span much of the period from 2009/10 to 2017/18, while the Premier League investigation began with charges brought in February 2023.
- England face Croatia at Stadium Rujevica on Saturday in League A Group 3 of the 2026/27 Nations League.
Tuchel keeps England selection separate from City case
England are preparing for Croatia with Elliot Anderson and Marc Guéhi in the squad as Manchester City representatives. Nico O’Reilly was also selected but has left the camp after sustaining an injury and returning to his club.
Tuchel said the subject was inevitably raised within the group during a break in the international schedule. “It is a major topic of discussion in the group,” he said. “We had time off between the games and it is an important issue. Of course we spoke with them, but only briefly.”
The England coach was also asked whether any potential consequence for City could affect future call-ups. His answer was that player selection would remain based on the needs of each fixture and tournament.
“I will always try to pick the strongest team for the occasion and for the competition,” Tuchel said. “I would never rule someone out simply because they are not playing in the top division in their country. Each situation has to be assessed individually.”
England meet Croatia at 13:00 Brasília time on Saturday, with the Rujevica Stadium hosting the third round of their Nations League group.
The allegations behind City’s appeal
The Premier League charged Manchester City in February 2023 after a four-year investigation, alleging more than 100 rule breaches across nine seasons. The matter was subsequently sent to an independent commission.
The case concerns the accuracy and completeness of financial information supplied by the club between 2009 and 2018. City were accused of failing to provide information in good faith that would present a true and fair picture of their finances.
The commission found against City on allegations involving inaccurate financial disclosures, sponsorship agreements connected to the club’s Abu Dhabi ownership, and undeclared payments to players and former manager Roberto Mancini. The club has submitted a full appeal against that finding.
The claims include allegations that City increased reported income and lowered costs by more than £900 million, through more than £830 million in improper payments linked to owners Abu Dhabi United Group and through artificial or inflated image-rights arrangements.
- Financial-information allegations cover every season from 2009/10 through 2017/18.
- Details relating to Mancini’s remuneration were allegedly omitted between 2009/10 and 2012/13, while player-pay disclosures are in question from 2010/11 to 2015/16.
- City were also alleged not to have met UEFA licensing and Financial Fair Play requirements from 2013/14 to 2017/18.
- Premier League profitability and sustainability rules were allegedly not followed between 2015/16 and 2017/18.
- The club is further accused of failing to cooperate fully with the league’s investigation from 2018 onwards, including over the provision of documents and information.
