Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, the league said Tuesday.
The verdict follows a four-year investigation into the club, which was charged in February 2023 with 115 alleged breaches covering nine seasons, Al Jazeera reported.
An independent commission found that Manchester City had arranged what the Premier League described as “sham” contracts with several commercial partners, allegedly misrepresenting the actual agreements between the parties.
According to the league, the commission found that schemes used by the club artificially increased reported revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 billion) during the period under investigation.
“The core decision … details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said.
He added that parts of the case remain unresolved, including the sanctions that could be imposed for the breaches.
Manchester City denied wrongdoing and said it would appeal the commission’s decision.
“The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case,” the club said in a statement.
City also said the commission’s opinion contained what it described as “clear material errors” of law, principle and fact, and said it would pursue the available appeal process.
The commission also found that some commercial arrangements were structured so companies paid only part of sponsorship fees, while the remaining amounts were funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development, which owned the club.
It further found that other arrangements funded by the group allowed City to record lower operating expenses than the club actually incurred. The commission said the club would have exceeded applicable spending limits “by a very substantial amount” had its finances been reported accurately.
The Premier League also said the commission found that Manchester City made “concerted efforts to stop and frustrate” the league’s investigation.
The potential sanctions under Premier League rules include a points deduction, a fine or expulsion from the competition. The league has not yet announced what punishment, if any, will be imposed, and the appeal process could affect the final outcome.
Manchester City have won eight Premier League titles, four FA Cups and seven League Cups since their 2008 takeover by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The club also won the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2023.
The financial case has been one of the most significant disciplinary proceedings in Premier League history, with the charges covering a period in which City established themselves as one of the league’s most successful clubs.
