Burnham urges caution after City reportedly found guilty of 114 of 115 Premier League charges

Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League financial charges brought against them, according to reports first published by The Athletic on 25 September — though the club are expected to appeal, and no official confirmation has been issued by either City or the Premier League.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, speaking to ITV Granada Reports, urged the public not to draw hasty conclusions about what the findings might mean for the club. “I’ve only just been made aware of it — I think these are reports at this stage,” Burnham said. “But if they’re confirmed, obviously I will want to look at the report of the independent commission.”

Asked whether City could face having titles stripped, Burnham pushed back. “People shouldn’t jump to those kind of conclusions. I know this has been a long process between the club and the Premier League — quite a contested process. I think we would all need to study the independent commission’s report in some considerable detail before reaching any conclusions.”

City were first charged in February 2023 following allegations of breaching the league’s financial rules across a period stretching back to 2009. The charges include 54 allegations of failing to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information between 2009 and 2018, as well as 14 alleged breaches relating to inaccurate financial reporting on player and manager compensation during the same period — 115 charges in total.

In a statement released earlier on Thursday, a club spokesperson said: “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.”

City are understood to be appealing the ruling, though that process is not expected to begin for several months. When it does proceed, a senior judge is likely to oversee the review of the commission’s findings. Possible sanctions, should City ultimately be found guilty following that appeal, range from fines and reprimands to points deductions or expulsion from the league.