Manchester City Guilty of Premier League Charges: What Happens Next?

by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath

image Manchester City Guilty of Premier League Charges: What Happens Next?
An Independent Commission has found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18, as well as the majority of charges concerning the club’s failure to cooperate with the League’s investigation.
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Man City’s 115 Financial Breach Charges Explained 

The football world has been rocked over the past week following confirmation that Manchester City has been found guilty of all financial breach charges and guilty of all but one charge regarding cooperation with the investigation (114 out of 115 total charges). 

Premier League CEO, Richard Masters, confirmed that the findings show that City “systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade (between 2009 and 2018)!”

Masters’ confirmation came after the independent panel ruled that City arranged “sham” contracts with commercial partners to boost their reported revenue, filed “misstated” financial accounts, and committed “significant” breaches of Premier League and UEFA spending rules. 

Man City were found guilty of inflating their commercial revenue by £830 million (between 2009 and 2018). Sanctions will be decided in a separate hearing, where the club faces the possibility of being slapped with a huge points deduction, fines, and even expulsion from the league. 

City have denied any wrongdoing and said in their statement that they were “disappointed and surprised” by the ruling. They also confirmed that they would appeal the verdict and be “relentless” in their fight to clear their name. The deadline to lodge an appeal is Friday, 2 October. 

Between 2009 and 2018, the Sky Blues declared a total of £949.94 million in commercial revenue from Abu Dhabi sponsors, but the panel found that only £119.25 million of that figure was actually paid for by the club’s sponsors. 

Over those nine seasons, Man City brought in star names such as Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, and David Silva, while Pep Guardiola was appointed manager in 2016. 

Manchester City Sponsor Etihad Mulls Legal Action After Guilty Verdict

While Manchester City prepare for their appeal and potential sanctions, the club’s main sponsor since 2009, Etihad, has revealed that it is considering legal action against the Premier League. 

Etihad were not named in the published judgement but says it has “created damaging implications” for them. Beyond the Abu Dhabi-owned airline, several of City’s other sponsors are standing by the club in the wake of the guilty verdict. 

Lucozade, Kellogg’s and Revolut have told several media houses that they will not comment on the commission’s findings at this stage, with the process still ongoing, while Majestic Wines has yet to confirm whether its partnership with City will continue.