Manchester City Found Guilty on 114 of 115 Premier League Financial Charges, Reports

An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, according to multiple reports, marking one of the most significant regulatory developments in modern English football.

The verdict, first reported by The Athletic and corroborated by outlets including The Guardian, CNN, Reuters, ESPN and Bloomberg, arrives more than three-and-a-half years after the Premier League charged the club in February 2023. The allegations centre largely on the period from the 2009/10 season through to 2017/18. No sanctions have yet been decided, and the club is widely expected to appeal.

Neither the Premier League nor Manchester City has issued an official confirmation of the decision. The league has declined to comment on the grounds that the process remains confidential. 

In response, the club released a statement stressing that proceedings are incomplete: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the Club’s statement of February 2023. The Club has 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 case originated from a Premier League investigation launched after leaked documents appeared in 2018. Reporting indicates the charges encompassed failures to provide accurate financial information across nine seasons, shortcomings in disclosing player and manager compensation details, breaches of the league’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, related issues of compliance with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations, and a substantial number of counts concerning non-cooperation with the investigation that began in late 2018. A three-person independent commission heard the matter over twelve weeks between September and December 2024 at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London. The panel upheld all but one of the charges.

Possible sanctions under Premier League rules include fines, points deductions or even expulsion, though the full range of options will only become clear once the commission moves to the penalties phase. Any severe sporting punishments would almost certainly trigger an appeal. The alleged breaches span seasons in which Manchester City secured three Premier League titles 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2017/18 raising complex questions about whether retrospective points deductions could alter historical league tables. Title revocation remains uncharted and highly contested legal territory, especially given the club’s anticipated challenge to the findings.

Three stages still lie ahead. The independent commission must determine and announce appropriate punishments. Both parties are expected to have a window in which to appeal, with any challenge likely to be heard by a fresh panel. In due course the full reasoned decision is expected to be published after procedural formalities and necessary redactions.

Manchester City currently lead the Premier League table in the early weeks of the 2026/27 season. Throughout the long-running process the club has consistently denied any wrongdoing and previously welcomed independent examination of what it has described as compelling evidence in its favour. The ultimate resolution of this case,through sanctions and any subsequent appeals,will shape lasting debates about financial regulation, competitive balance and governance in English football’s top flight.