Manchester City appeal 114 guilty verdicts as months-long process begins

Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 out of 115 Premier League financial charges and are understood to have begun an appeal process that will delay any final sanctions against the club.

The club issued a statement following the unprecedented verdict, saying it had “diligently respected due process for eight years” and criticising what it described as a lack of independence from the Premier League Board. The Premier League itself has not yet commented publicly, as the case has not reached a final outcome.

How the appeal works

Under Premier League regulations, City have 14 days from the original decision to lodge a formal appeal. It is not yet confirmed whether that window has already begun. The appeal will be reviewed by a three-person panel currently presided over by former High Court judge Sir Gary Hickinbottom.

Crucially, lodging an appeal postpones the implementation of any fines, points deductions, or other penalties. The appeal panel’s decision is considered final by the Premier League, meaning City would have no further recourse — they cannot refer the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The process is not a full retrial; not all evidence will necessarily be reheard.

The appeal hearing will be conducted in private, with the final ruling published on the Premier League’s website.

How long could it take?

There is no fixed timeframe within which the appeal panel must reach a verdict. Previous Premier League appeals brought by Nottingham Forest, Everton, and Leicester City took between six weeks and three months to conclude.

Given the sheer scale of City’s case — 115 charges spanning multiple seasons — the appeal is widely expected to take longer than any of those precedents. The club will face no sporting punishment until that process is complete.