Manchester City found guilty on more than 100 Premier League financial charges after four-year probe

Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty on more than 100 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, with an independent commission reaching a verdict after a process that began in earnest when the club were formally referred in early 2023.

The charges relate to a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018, during which City transformed from mid-table also-rans into one of the dominant forces in European football following Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group takeover in September 2008 — a deal worth £200m that made the club the richest in the world at the time.

The eight-time Premier League champions have strongly denied all charges throughout the proceedings. Sanctions have not yet been confirmed, and the club may appeal the verdict. Nevertheless, the decision represents one of the most consequential rulings in the history of English football.

The case has its roots in November 2018, when German newspaper Der Spiegel published leaked documents obtained by Football Leaks alleging City had inflated the value of sponsorship deals to circumvent UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations. UEFA launched its own investigation in May 2019, and the Premier League followed with its own referral to an independent commission in February 2023 after a four-year inquiry.

The hearing itself ran for 12 weeks, with a verdict now reached almost two years after proceedings concluded.

City’s rise under Abu Dhabi ownership had already attracted scrutiny long before the charges were formalised. The club reached a €20m settlement with UEFA in May 2014 following an earlier FFP investigation, and their on-pitch success accelerated dramatically after Pep Guardiola arrived in 2016 — culminating in a historic 100-point Premier League title in the 2017-18 season, the very campaign at the heart of the investigation’s timeline.

The full scope of any potential punishment — which in theory could range from points deductions to fines or even expulsion — remains to be determined as the legal process moves into its next phase.