Premier League Finds Manchester City Guilty of Serious Financial Rule Breaches

Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules covering the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons, according to an official league statement.

The charges, initially brought in February 2023 following a four-year investigation, span nine seasons of football. In response, Manchester City announced their intention to appeal the decision.

According to the Premier League, an independent commission determined that the club utilized sham contracts with various commercial partners that misrepresented true agreements. Furthermore, the commission concluded that Manchester City implemented schemes to artificially inflate revenues and cut costs by over 900 million pounds across the affected period to create a false appearance of compliance with financial regulations.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters stated that the core decision outlines how the club systematically broke rules for nearly a decade, noting that discussions regarding appropriate sanctions are still pending.

Manchester City continue to deny all wrongdoing, expressing surprise and disappointment with the commission's findings. The club maintains its innocence, citing a comprehensive body of evidence supporting its position, and intends to pursue all available appeal avenues based on what it describes as material errors of law, principle, and fact.