+34
An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules over nine seasons, with alleged wrongdoing worth over 900 million pounds. City plans to appeal the verdict.
Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League financial rules over a nine-season period, the league announced on Tuesday UK time.
An independent commission found the club guilty of almost all the unprecedented 115 charges against it over a nine-year period when the Abu Dhabi-backed team changed the landscape of the richest and most popular soccer league in the world. The league said City used schemes to artificially inflate club revenues and reduce costs by more than 900 million pounds ($1.7 billion) during the affected period, to appear to comply with financial rules.
Premier League Chief Calls Ruling Historic
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the ruling showed City systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade. He added this disciplinary case and decision are the most significant in Premier League history. City now faces severe sanctions that could include a huge points deduction or even expulsion from the league, causing severe reputational damage to its Abu Dhabi ownership. The league said sanctions would be decided in a separate hearing held by the independent commission.
City has always denied wrongdoing and said in a statement that it was disappointed and surprised by the ruling. It planned to further drag out the case that has already run for more than three years by appealing the verdict, and said it would be relentless in its fight to clear its name. Any appeal by City would have to be made by Friday, the league said.
City chief executive Ferran Soriano was asked for comment by broadcaster Sky News, but replied he had nothing to say. The explosive ruling comes after it emerged last week that the charges against City were expected to be upheld following an exhaustive process. The Premier League initiated its case more than three years ago after allegations arose in 2018 from leaked club emails and documents.
Financial Violations During Transformation Era
City was accused of a raft of financial violations from 2009 to 2018, a period when the north-west club, long in the shadow of great rival Manchester United, was transforming itself into a record-breaking global superpower that won multiple Premier League titles and the Champions League. The violations included failing to provide accurate financial information and submitting inflated figures for sponsorship deals out of Abu Dhabi, hiding payments and breaching financial rules established by the Premier League and UEFA, European soccer's governing body, intended to keep clubs financially stable by not spending beyond their means.
On top of that, City faced many other charges of failing to cooperate with the investigation between 2018 and 2023. An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules over a nine-season period and the majority of charges in relation to its failure to cooperate with the league's investigation.
Regarding the sponsorship deals, the league said Manchester City arranged sham contracts, which misrepresented the true agreement between the parties, with a number of its commercial partners, as well as relying on sham agreements with others, to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs. The club filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from its auditors and football regulators.
The purpose of City's schemes was found to have been to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs by more than 900 million pounds during the affected period, to appear to comply with financial rules, the league said. The finding suggests that City's rise to the top of the English game, fuelled by investments from Abu Dhabi that delivered its expensively assembled, star-studded squads, was achieved at least in part by evading the league's financial regulations.
Chaos In English Soccer After Verdict
Tuesday's verdict is set to bring chaos to English soccer in general, triggering a slew of lawsuits from rival clubs calling for compensation for having been impacted by City's actions. There is also the question of whether City's top stars, such as Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki, will stay at the club and what the future holds for Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
He is the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and a member of Abu Dhabi's royal family who bought City in 2008 and has gone on to own a group of worldwide teams under the City Football Group banner, including New York City FC and Melbourne City. City has always protested its innocence in the case, saying in 2023 when the charges were laid that there was a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
Even over the weekend, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said there remained a confidence and intent in proving the club's innocence. The appeal could end up in the High Court in London if City feels the process in the case was unfair and or partial. The club was accused of a raft of financial violations between 2009 and 2018, a period when it was transforming itself into a record-breaking global superpower.
The finding suggests City rise to the top of the English game, fuelled by investments from Abu Dhabi that delivered its expensive, star-studded squads, was achieved at least in part by evading the league financial regulations. City has been found guilty of arranging sham contracts in financial breaches that helped it dominate the sport, in what has become the biggest scandal in Premier League history. The club says it is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League.
GuardianAus 
abcnews:Manchester City found guilty in Premier League's biggest sacndal 
smh:Man City found guilty of ‘sham contracts’ in decade-long rort to build Premier League empireThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Manchester City Premier League Financial Fair Play Rule Breaches Football Governance Premier League Financial Breaches Sham Contracts Richard Masters Points Deduction Independent Commission Ruling Points Deduction Or Expulsion
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mancini says Manchester City contract issue isna problem for him as club faces Premier League inquiryFormer Italy boss Roberto Mancini said the dispute over his Manchester City contract was not his concern while the club continues its defense in a Premier League investigation into alleged payment record‑keeping lapses. The inquiry covers the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons and includes a claim that Mancini doubled his salary to advise an Abu Dhabi club.
Read more »
Manchester City awaits punishment as Khaldoon al-Mubarak disputes Premier League chargesManchester City face sanctions after a finding of guilt on more than 100 Premier League charges, while chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak insists the club is confident and disputes the verdict.
Read more »
Manchester City found guilty of over 100 Premier League financial chargesAn independent commission found Manchester City guilty of nearly all 100-plus Premier League financial charges, with wrongdoing exceeding £900 million. The club faces sanctions including possible points deduction or expulsion and plans to appeal.
Read more »