Manchester City found guilty on 114 of 115 charges in Premier League financial probe (September 25)

An independent judicial panel found Manchester City guilty of the vast majority of 134 charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules, according to reporting by the Guardian on September 25. The panel reached guilty verdicts on 114 of 115 charges, covering the seasons 2009-10 through 2022-23.

The most serious charges relate to City's failure to provide accurate financial information to the league during this span. More than 80 charges alleged violations of the club's obligation to act in "the utmost good faith" when relaying information to the Premier League and to give complete disclosure of any information requested. Twenty charges related to the club's obligation to provide full details of remuneration, with breaches claimed in rules relating to payment of players and managers. The remainder of the charges concerned alleged breaches of profitability and sustainability rules and related UEFA financial fair play regulations.

During the 14 seasons in question, City won seven Premier League titles, one Champions League, three FA Cups, and six League Cups, per the Guardian. The verdict was reached more than three and a half years after the charges were first brought and more than two years after disciplinary hearings began.

Under Premier League rules, any party may appeal a judicial panel's decision by email within 14 days of the decision being announced. According to rule W.86, any hearing should conclude no longer than 12 weeks after the first appeal is submitted, and any decision by the appeal board must be published alongside full written reasons within 30 days of the hearing's conclusion. If City appeals, any sanctions would be placed on hold pending the appeal outcome.

Premier League rule W.64 describes available punishments: a panel may levy a fine, suspend a club from competition, levy a points deduction, or in extreme circumstances expel a club from competition altogether. Chelsea received only a 10 million pound cash fine after being found to have breached FA rules on agents 74 times, per the Guardian; Chelsea was adjudged not to have gained significant sporting advantage from its actions and was praised for self-reporting.

City's position, stated through a spokesperson and cited by the Guardian, remains consistent with a February 2023 statement: the club has "diligently respected due process for eight years." Club executives learned of the outcome following a shareholders' meeting in central London on September 25, per the Guardian. According to CBS Sports, if City appeals, a new three-person panel will be selected by Murray Rosen KC, who chairs the league's judicial panel. Bloomberg reported last month that UK officials were concerned the case would damage relations with the United Arab Emirates, whose vice president Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan owns the club.