Jesse Marsch says 'everyone knew' Man City were cheating before guilty verdict

Former Leeds United and Canada manager Jesse Marsch has claimed that Manchester City’s systematic breach of Premier League financial rules was an open secret in football, following the independent commission’s verdict that found City guilty of 114 of 115 charges brought against them.

The commission determined that City operated a “disguised funding scheme” between 2009 and 2018 to conceal secret funding of more than £830 million, using “sham” arrangements to hide the true extent of certain club liabilities. Relegation from the Premier League remains among the possible punishments, though City have launched an appeal that will significantly prolong proceedings.

“I think Man City should be punished severely. I think they should have to go down, and by the way, everyone knew about it. Everyone knew,” Marsch told the Guardian.

Marsch, who managed Leeds during the 2022/23 season — the year City won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup — pointed to financial disclosures from that summer as a source of early suspicion. “That summer, us and Man City were the only teams that said we made money. For us, we did make money, because we sold Raphinha, we sold Kalvin Phillips. We had a lot left over from what we bought. Our ownership didn’t have deep pockets. Whereas when Man City says this, I was literally like, ‘Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke?’”

He also questioned the reported transfer fee for Erling Haaland. “When they said they got Erling Haaland for £52m, it’s like: ‘Yeah, OK, sure!’ So, I knew there were inconsistencies in it, but what can you do? You just put your arms in the air and go, ‘This is football’.”

Leeds’ frustrations with the 2022/23 season extend beyond City. The club were relegated that campaign, finishing below both Everton and Nottingham Forest — two clubs that were subsequently deducted points for their own breaches of Premier League financial rules.

Marsch’s remarks follow similar comments from Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, who stated earlier in the week that “many other clubs have inflated their budgets.” Emery told Diario de Sevilla: “It’s an issue that was already known. Financial Fair Play seeks a financial balance so that what you generate is spent and there isn’t inflation. Yes, many other clubs have inflated their budgets, and now it’s coming to light.”

City have consistently maintained their innocence throughout the process and their appeal means a final resolution remains some way off.