An independent disciplinary commission has reportedly found Manchester City guilty of almost all the charges brought against the club by the English Premier League over alleged breaches of financial regulations.
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The decision followed a lengthy legal proceeding arising from more than 100 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, covering several seasons between 2009 and 2018.
A report attributed to The Athletic on Friday said the commission found Manchester City liable on virtually all the charges submitted for determination.
The club is reportedly expected to challenge the decision before an appeal panel. The sanctions to be imposed have not yet been determined, meaning the disciplinary process remains ongoing.
The case was referred to an independent commission in February 2023 after a four-year investigation by the Premier League.
The allegations principally concerned Manchester City’s obligation to provide accurate financial information capable of presenting a true and fair view of the club’s financial position.
The Premier League accused the club of failing to disclose accurate information relating to revenue, sponsorship income, operating costs and payments made to players and managers.
The widely reported total of 115 charges comprised 54 alleged failures to provide accurate and updated financial information between 2009 and 2018 and 14 alleged failures to accurately report payments made to players and managers.
Five allegations concerned purported non-compliance with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations, while seven related to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.
Another 35 charges concerned Manchester City’s alleged failure to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation between 2018 and 2023.
Some subsequent analyses placed the actual number of alleged breaches at 130 because of the manner in which individual breaches were counted.
Manchester City consistently denied wrongdoing and maintained that it possessed comprehensive evidence capable of disproving the Premier League’s allegations.
When the charges were announced, the club said it welcomed the opportunity for an independent commission to consider what it described as a comprehensive body of “irrefutable evidence” supporting its position.
The commission’s hearing began in September 2024 and concluded in December of that year. Proceedings were held privately because Premier League disciplinary rules require confidentiality until a decision is formally published.
The prolonged delay in delivering the judgment attracted criticism from supporters, football administrators and sports-law practitioners.
In August 2026, Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters acknowledged that the process had taken longer than anticipated but maintained that the independent commission controlled the timetable and that the league could not interfere with its work.
The commission possesses broad powers to impose sanctions if the findings against Manchester City are formally confirmed. Possible penalties include a financial sanction, deduction of league points, suspension, expulsion from the Premier League or any other punishment considered appropriate under the competition’s rules.
However, no punishment has been announced, and the report that Manchester City was found guilty does not automatically mean the club will be relegated or stripped of previously won titles.
Any sanction would ordinarily be considered separately after the parties have made submissions concerning aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
Manchester City is reportedly preparing to appeal the findings. An appeal could prolong the proceedings and delay the implementation of any sanction imposed by the independent commission.
The appeal would be determined within the Premier League’s disciplinary framework rather than by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Until the Premier League publishes the commission’s complete decision, the precise charges upheld, the reasons supporting the findings and the evidence accepted by the panel remain unavailable to the public.
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