Manchester City Found Guilty of 114 Premier League Charges

Manchester City has been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League in early 2023, concluding a legal battle that has spanned over two and a half years. The investigation into the club's financial dealings dates back to 2018.

The Initial Allegations

The case originated in 2018 when German publication Der Spiegel published a series of articles based on leaked emails. These articles alleged that Manchester City had violated Premier League and UEFA financial fair play rules through various underhand techniques. One of the initial claims suggested that a significant portion of sponsorship money from Etihad Airways was, in reality, paid by the Abu Dhabi United Group, the investment group owned by City's owner, Sheikh Mansour.

Further allegations included claims that Roberto Mancini, as City manager, received a substantial annual consultancy fee from Abu Dhabi side Al Jazira, also owned by Sheikh Mansour, on top of his managerial salary. Other accusations involved the backdating of sponsorship deals with Abu Dhabi-based partners.

UEFA Investigation and Appeal

UEFA launched its investigation in 2019, suspecting that Manchester City had found ways to circumvent financial rules following their takeover in 2008, which allegedly contributed to their on-field success. In February 2020, UEFA banned City from the Champions League for two years and fined them 30 million euros for what it termed "serious breaches" of its rules. Manchester City appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Their appeal was successful, leading to the overturning of the ban and a reduction of the fine to 10 million euros, as two of the three judges found most alleged breaches were not established or were time-barred.

Premier League Charges and Legal Action

In February 2023, the Premier League officially charged Manchester City with 115 offenses, later corrected to 130. These charges included failures to provide accurate financial information between 2009 and 2018, breaches of UEFA and Premier League financial regulations, and failure to cooperate with the Premier League's investigation from 2018 to 2023. Unlike the UEFA charges, there is no time-barring period for the Premier League's allegations.

During the ongoing investigation, Manchester City initiated legal action against the Premier League in June of the previous year concerning its Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules. The club argued these rules, introduced in 2021, were a "tyranny of the majority" designed by established clubs to protect themselves. A tribunal ruled these regulations unlawful and void, a decision that left the league and its clubs facing significant legal costs.

The Verdict

The hearing into the Premier League charges commenced in September at London's International Dispute Resolution Centre. On Friday, September 25, 2026, the verdict was delivered, finding Manchester City guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League rules. The club is expected to launch an appeal against this decision.