Manchester City vow relentless appeal after Premier League finds club guilty of all financial charges

Manchester City have been found guilty of all financial charges brought against them by the Premier League, with an independent commission ruling that the club arranged sham contracts with commercial partners to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs. The club responded with a fiery statement on the day of the verdict, declaring the decision ‘unsafe’ and confirming they will appeal.

The Premier League’s commission concluded that City had relied on “sham agreements” to manipulate their financial position, findings the club flatly rejected. In their statement, City insisted “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions” and said they would be “relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums.”

City cited “clear material errors, of law, principle and fact” as the basis for their appeal, adding that the Premier League process remains ongoing with “significant elements uncompleted.” The club stopped short of elaborating further, noting they are “obviously restricted in what it can say until all future proceedings are complete.”

The case has been running for eight years, and City said they had “diligently respected due process” throughout on the expectation that the Premier League Board and Executive would act as an “independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence” — a pointed suggestion that they believe that standard was not met.

The verdict represents the most significant finding against an English top-flight club in the modern era, though the full consequences will not be determined until the appeals process has concluded. Sanctions, which could range from points deductions to fines or other penalties, have not yet been confirmed.