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Manchester City Found Guilty of Most Financial Rule Breaches
Confirmed
In Short: Sources have confirmed that Manchester City has been found guilty of all but one of 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, according to reports by The Athletic and BBC Sport.
The independent panel, which concluded its investigation following a four-year probe, found the club guilty of inflating sponsorship revenue from Etihad Airways and Etisalat, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The sanctions, which could include points deductions, financial penalties, and even relegation, have not yet been decided, and the club is expected to appeal the decision.
Manchester City has maintained its innocence, insisting that there is a 'comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence' to prove its case, as stated by the club.
In February 2025, a tribunal found the Premier League's rules governing sponsorship deals from 2021 to 2024 to be 'void and unenforceable,' according to BBC Sport.
The Premier League had accused City of breaching rules requiring the club to provide 'accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club's financial position,' as claimed by the Premier League.
City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak expressed frustration over the situation, stating that it detracts from the team's achievements, including a treble victory.
Manchester City has won the Premier League eight times in the past 15 years, and the club's future in the league is now uncertain pending the outcome of the appeal.
The Premier League charged Manchester City in February 2023 following a lengthy investigation into alleged financial-rule breaches covering the period from 2009 to 2018.
The CAS found most of the alleged breaches of overstating sponsorship revenue were either not established or 'time-barred' because they fell outside the five-year statutory limit for prosecution, according to Al Jazeera.
What this adds
The sanctions and the exact nature of the appeal process have not been fully detailed.
What's confirmed
- City found guilty of all but one of the 115 alleged breaches of the league’s financial rules, The Athletic reports.
What's still developing
- The sanctions have not yet been decided, and City are expected to appeal, according to an article by The Athletic’s David Ornstein on Friday, who cited anonymous sources briefed on the matter.
- Emails purportedly sent between top City executives showed the club had inflated sponsorship revenue from the UAE state-controlled airline Etihad and telecommunications firm Etisalat by disguising direct investment from Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group as income.
- In 2024, an independent arbitration panel found against aspects of the league's Associated Party Transaction regulations (APTs) after City launched an arbitration challenge.
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- Asked if the report was correct, City did not comment either way.
- "It's the same as what happened after UEFA (charges), these are just charges. With UEFA the club proved it was completely innocent. We are lucky we live in a marvellous country where everyone is innocent until proven guilty," Guardiola said.
- Premier League CEO Richard Masters tells the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee of the UK Parliament that a hearing date has been set for City's financial rule breach charges.
- Everton are docked two more points by the Premier League -- their second points deduction of the season -- after an independent commission found they had breached the league PSRs.
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- According to The Athletic, sources briefed on the decision say the city was found guilty on virtually all of the charges, with only one allegation not upheld.