Manchester City found guilty of major financial rule breaches

An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of 114 out of 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations spanning the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons. The ruling concludes that the club utilized "sham" commercial contracts to artificially inflate revenue and hide over 900 million pounds in expenses. Furthermore, the committee determined that the club failed to cooperate with the league's investigation in three of the four specified instances. While the club denies any wrongdoing, the commission’s findings imply significant deliberate efforts to circumvent financial transparency.

Manchester City is expected to appeal the decision, with a deadline set for Friday, October 2, 2026. The club, led by CEO Ferran Soriano and supported by former manager Pep Guardiola, maintains that it has submitted evidence of its innocence. Potential consequences for these breaches are currently being debated, with speculation ranging from severe fines to the deduction of points or relegation. Meanwhile, the airline Etihad, a primary sponsor, has publicly rejected the commission's characterization of their commercial agreements as "sham" and has threatened legal action against the Premier League for the manner in which these conclusions were presented.