Manchester City found guilty on 114 of 115 Premier League financial charges as appeal looms

Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of the 115 financial charges levied against them by the Premier League, following a verdict delivered more than three years after the charges were first filed. Sanctions have not yet been determined, and City are expected to appeal the decision.

The Premier League originally charged City in February 2023, alleging the club had broken its financial rules across a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018. Among the allegations was a failure to cooperate with Premier League investigations into the club’s finances. City won three league titles during that period under Emirati owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

A 12-week hearing was held before a three-person independent commission between September and December 2024. The verdict brings a conclusion to the evidentiary phase of a process that had been shrouded in confidentiality since the hearings concluded.

In a statement, City said the process “remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed,” adding that the club had “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 club had consistently maintained that their case was supported by a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence.”

The Premier League alleged that City breached rules requiring clubs to provide “accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position.”

Former manager Pep Guardiola, who left the club in May having been in charge since 2016, expressed his belief in the club’s innocence before the verdict. “I trust them,” Guardiola said. “I spoke with them and trust how they behave and how they did.” There is no suggestion Guardiola was aware of any alleged wrongdoing during his tenure.

Current head coach Enzo Maresca, who previously served as Guardiola’s assistant, struck a measured tone when asked about the case in July. “In three years, it’s still the same. Nothing has happened. I don’t have any concerns, personally,” he said.

With sanctions still to be decided and an appeal anticipated, the legal process surrounding English football’s most consequential financial case is far from over.