Manchester City officially faces a multi‑million‑pound sanction for irregularities

Officially, the Premier League has announced that the Independent Commission has found Manchester City guilty of all charges for breaching Financial Fair Play, and the Citizens have until October 2 to lodge an appeal.

The Commission has determined that the club committed serious infringements over a period of nine seasons and that, moreover, most of the charges are linked to its lack of cooperation with the league’s investigation.

“An independent commission has found Manchester City FC guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a period of nine seasons, as well as most of the charges related to its lack of cooperation with the League’s investigation,” reads the official statement.

The verdict states that the club artificially inflated its revenue by more than £900 million, equivalent to over €1 billion, by hiding the true state of its accounts from auditors and regulators.

Fictitious contracts and forged documents

According to the investigation, Manchester City allegedly drafted “fictitious contracts” with sponsors between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, releasing £900 million which, at current exchange rates, exceeds the €1 billion figure.

More than a hundred infringements between 2009 and 2018

The Commission has also listed more than a hundred infringements committed between 2009 and 2018, describing the case as the most extensive in Premier League history.

“This is the most significant sanction in Premier League history,” said Richard Masters, chief executive of the competition, underscoring the seriousness of the case.

Manchester City has until October 2 to appeal the decision; meanwhile, the league has not yet imposed any financial or sporting sanction on the club.

The announcement reinforces the Premier League’s determination to protect the competitive and financial integrity of football, sending a clear message to all clubs about the need to comply with Fair Play rules.