Haaland threatened by Manchester City case: Premier League in doubt

English football is caught up in an unprecedented disciplinary case: Manchester City has been found guilty by an independent committee of 114 out of 115 financial violations, and there is speculation that Erling Haaland and other Premier League top‑class players could be excluded.

Background of the case

Two years ago the Premier League launched an investigation into Manchester City, focusing on the period 2009 to 2018. An independent committee was appointed to determine whether the club had systematically breached the financial rules.

The trigger came from revelations by the German newspaper Der Spiegel in 2018, which claimed whistleblowers had gained access to internal documents and e‑mails of City officials.

Allegations and findings

The committee concluded that City deliberately provided inaccurate financial information to the competition, circumvented UEFA Financial Fair Play rules and entered unlawful sponsorship deals. For example, the shirt and stadium sponsor Etihad allegedly paid an artificially inflated, non‑market‑conforming amount.

It was also alleged that the salary of former head coach Roberto Mancini between 2009 and 2013 was far higher than recorded in the accounts, with an extra almost two million pounds per year for a four‑day consultancy assignment in Abu Dhabi.

Consequences and future

All possible sanctions – ranging from a reprimand to a fine or even relegation from the Premier League – remain open according to English media. Recently Everton and Nottingham Forest received point deductions for financial breaches, fueling speculation about a possible exclusion of Manchester City.

Ferran Soriano, chief executive of Manchester City, warned that the process could take years. Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of the club, said in a statement that the Premier League “still has a long way to go”. Sources said that City is appealing the committee’s ruling, meaning a review could be a lengthy process. The Premier League panel must now decide whether the club can be punished without triggering a chain reaction of legal proceedings.