MANCHESTER — Sanctions for the breaches have not yet been decided. Potential sanctions include fines, points deductions, and expulsion from the Premier League.

The charges include 54 counts of failing to provide accurate financial information from 2009 to 2018. They also include 14 counts of failing to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation during the same period.

Additional counts involve 35 instances of failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to February 2023. The charges include 7 counts of breaching Premier League Profitability and Sustainability rules from 2015 to 2018. The charges include 5 counts of failing to comply with UEFA regulations, including Financial Fair Play, from 2013 to 2018. The hearing before the independent commission ran from September 16, 2024, to December 6, 2024.

Manchester City are expected to appeal the verdict. Any appeal against the independent commission's decision must be lodged within 14 days of the ruling.

An appeal would trigger a review by a fresh three-person commission selected by Murray Rosen KC. The decision of the appeal commission would be final and cannot be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

A Manchester City spokesperson addressed the ruling in an official statement. "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC's position remains consistent with the club's statement of February 2023. The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence," the spokesperson said.

Other Premier League clubs were informed of the verdict. Real Madrid is monitoring Manchester City's legal process.

Why It Matters

The 2026 verdict marks the first time an independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of a majority of charges related to financial rule violations under the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Regulations. The verdict has been reached more than three and a half years after charges were brought by the Premier League and more than two years since arbitration hearings began.

The Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) were introduced in 2014, but the charges against Manchester City relate to breaches that occurred between 2009 and 2018, before the full implementation of these rules. Manchester City won three Premier League titles between 2009 and 2018, and later won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in the 2022-23 season.

Timeline

The allegations against Manchester City stem from documents published by Der Spiegel in 2018 via Football Leaks. In 2020, UEFA banned Manchester City from European competitions for two seasons and fined the club €30 million. The Premier League charged Manchester City with 115 breaches of financial regulations in February 2023.

Manchester City won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in the 2022-23 season. An independent commission found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges relating to alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations.

What's New

A Manchester City spokesperson stated: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence."

In 2020, UEFA initially banned Manchester City from European competitions for two seasons and fined them €30 million for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, but this decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in July 2020. Manchester City has been involved in multiple financial regulatory investigations since 2018, with the current case being the most extensive to date, involving 115 charges across a 9-season period (2009-10 to 2017-18).

How Sources Differ

Regarding the status of Manchester City, a Manchester City spokesperson stated: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC's position remains consistent with the club's statement of February 2023. The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence." In contrast, an independent commission verdict found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges relating to alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations.

In contrast, the Premier League charging notice from February 2023 charged Manchester City with 115 breaches of financial regulations in February 2023.

In contrast, Premier League records show Manchester City won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in the 2022-23 season.

Regarding financial regulations, an independent commission verdict found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges relating to alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations.

Regarding the status of Manchester City, an independent commission verdict found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges relating to alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations.

Regarding alleged breaches, an independent commission verdict found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges relating to alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations. In contrast, the Premier League charging notice from February 2023 states the charges relate to alleged breaches of financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

In contrast, Premier League records show Manchester City won three Premier League titles between 2009 and 2018.

Regarding the status of Manchester City, the Premier League charging notice from February 2023 charged Manchester City with 115 breaches of financial regulations in February 2023.