Manchester City found guilty on 114 of 115 financial charges as Premier League verdict lands

Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of 115 charges of breaching Premier League financial rules, an independent commission ruled after a 12-week hearing that began in September 2024. The verdict, which City intend to appeal, could result in a significant points deduction, demotion from the Premier League, or the stripping of titles — though penalties have not yet been decided.

The club was first referred to the commission in February 2023, charged with 115 rule breaches accumulated over a period stretching back to the 2009-10 season. City strenuously denied all charges at the time, and welcomed what they called the chance for an “impartial” body to consider “irrefutable evidence” in their favour.

The 115 charges fall into five categories. Fifty-four relate to failures to provide accurate financial information across nine seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18. Fourteen concern failures to provide accurate details of player and manager payments over the same period — including the remuneration of former manager Roberto Mancini between 2009-10 and 2012-13. Five charges involve non-compliance with UEFA rules, including Financial Fair Play regulations, from 2013-14 to 2017-18. Seven relate to breaches of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules between 2015-16 and 2017-18. The remaining 35 charges cover a failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to February 2023.

The Premier League’s investigation into City began in 2018, meaning the club has operated under scrutiny for the better part of eight years — a period during which they won four consecutive league titles and, four months after the charges were formally laid in 2023, claimed the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

In a statement following the verdict, a City spokesperson said the club’s position remained consistent with its February 2023 statement, adding that it had “diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.” The spokesperson noted that “significant elements” of the process remain to be completed and are subject to strict confidentiality.