Premier League bosses react as Manchester City appeal massive financial verdict

Manchester City were found guilty of 114 of the 115 financial breaches brought by the Premier League and have announced an appeal, prompting reactions from Premier League managers on Thursday. The club maintains it possesses a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence, while potential sanctions range from points deductions to expulsion.

The appeal will be heard before the end of the year by an independent three‑person panel, which is expected to deliver a decision in the months ahead. City insist the evidence will clear them of all charges, despite the league’s finding that the majority of alleged breaches were proven.

Manager reactions on Thursday

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard told reporters, “We’ve all seen the news, it’s obviously big news, Man City are appealing. I’m not inside the story, I’m outside it completely. I played for Man City a long time ago now, for one year. We’ll wait and see what the result of the appeal is and onwards. I don’t know the timelines at all.” He added that he respects any manager dealing with such a situation, noting the club’s huge squad of quality players.

Norwich former manager Daniel Farke said, “Not my topic. There are more qualified people to speak about this. I was not involved in the title race during those years, only won one game with Norwich so I can’t really complain.” Bournemouth boss Marco Rose stressed his trust in the officials handling the case, saying, “I played many times against Manchester City in the Champions League with my former clubs. I’m not this kind of guy who blames someone without enough information. I trust the people involved and will see what happens.” Matthias Jaissle also faced the media but did not offer a comment.

Potential sanctions and panel

The league has outlined a range of possible punishments, from a points deduction and financial penalty to the stripping of previous trophies or even expulsion from the Premier League. The independent panel’s three‑person composition will consider these options before delivering its verdict later this year.

Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe, speaking to the BBC, said, “We’ll let everything play out through the proper channels. Whatever the just result is, I am sure it will be delivered. In any sport everybody wants to play by the same rules and have a level playing field. Our focus right now is Saturday at Arsenal.”

Senior Sports Journalist Bruna Reis, writing for Sport, added a View and Images to the report, noting that the documents list MAN and CITY as separate entities. The club continues to deny wrongdoing and insists its comprehensive evidence will exonerate it, leaving the Premier League and its clubs to await the panel’s decision.