Manchester City found guilty of financial rule breaches
Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules over nine seasons, with sanctions to be determined at a separate hearing, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
In an official statement published on September 29, the Premier League said an independent commission found that the club artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons.
The commission concluded that City arranged “sham” commercial contracts as part of a disguised funding scheme. Sponsors paid only part of the agreed fees, with the remainder supplied by the club’s owner, Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd.
Other arrangements enabled City to record lower operating expenses than it actually incurred, including a transaction involving players’ image rights. The commission found that the club filed misstated accounts, concealed its financial position from auditors and regulators, and substantially exceeded Premier League and UEFA spending limits.
“By its conduct the club clearly intended to circumvent the PL Rules,” the commission concluded.
It also upheld three of four alleged breaches concerning City’s cooperation with the investigation, finding that the club had “made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the PL investigation”.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the ruling demonstrated how City had systematically breached the rules for nearly a decade.
“This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history,” Masters said.
“There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches.”
Manchester City rejected the findings and announced plans to appeal.
“The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League,” City said, arguing that the decision contained material errors of law, principle and fact.
The club has until Friday, October 2, to lodge an appeal. Possible sanctions include fines, points deductions and other sporting penalties.
The investigation began in December 2018, with charges brought in February 2023. A 42-day hearing concluded in December 2024. The Premier League said it intends to complete the remaining proceedings as quickly as possible.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that BYD and Manchester City had extended their partnership for the 2026/27 season.