Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of the majority of the Premier League financial-rule charges brought against the club, but neither the league nor the independent panel has publicly released a verdict, written reasons or any sanction.
BBC Sport reported that it had been told the independent panel had ruled and upheld most of the charges. The Athletic’s reported figure of 114 upheld counts was reported by The Athletic and subsequently cited by other outlets, although the precise number has not been officially published. Reports differ on the total number of charges, so the shorthand figure of 115 should not be treated as a final, fully published accounting of the panel’s findings.
City have not accepted the reported outcome. In a statement carried by the BBC and ESPN, the club said the confidential Premier League process remained ongoing and that significant elements still had to be completed. City said its position remained consistent with that taken in February 2023, when it denied wrongdoing. BBC Sport has also reported that City will appeal.
The immediate significance is considerable, but the result is not yet a completed disciplinary case. A separate sanctions stage is required before any punishment can be determined, while an appeal could further alter the eventual outcome.
What the reported verdict concerns
The Premier League charged City in February 2023 after a four-year investigation. The allegations relate to conduct between 2009 and 2018, and the hearing before an independent commission began in September 2024 before concluding in December that year, according to the BBC.
The original charges were presented in five main groups:
- 54 alleged failures to provide accurate financial information from 2009-10 to 2017-18;
- 14 alleged failures to provide accurate details of player and manager remuneration across the same period;
- five alleged failures to comply with UEFA rules, including financial fair play, from 2013-14 to 2017-18;
- seven alleged breaches of Premier League profitability and sustainability rules from 2015-16 to 2017-18; and
- 35 alleged failures to co-operate with the league’s investigation between December 2018 and February 2023.
City have consistently denied the allegations. Its latest statement said the club had respected due process for eight years and expected the Premier League board and executive to act independently, impartially and fairly. That is the club’s stated position, rather than a published finding from the panel.
The case concerns a period in which City won three Premier League titles, according to the BBC. However, no sanction has been imposed, and no decision has been made to strip City of titles or trophies. The club’s successful appeal against a UEFA ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020 was a separate case and does not decide this Premier League process.
Sanctions and appeal remain unresolved
No punishment has been imposed. Reports say a sanctions hearing must take place after the commission’s determination, and that could take months. The Guardian reported that an appeal would concern the panel’s decision rather than a punishment that has not yet been set.
Premier League rules allow for a range of potential measures, including a fine, points deduction, suspension, transfer restrictions or expulsion. Those are available possibilities, not outcomes that have been decided in City’s case. Reports have discussed relegation and the removal of honours, but neither has been ordered.
The Guardian reported that, if a verdict were formally announced, Premier League rules would give City 14 days to submit an appeal. It also reported that the appeal process should ordinarily be completed within 12 weeks, although the exceptional scale and confidentiality of this case mean the timing of public documents remains uncertain.
A further issue is possible civil action by other clubs. BBC Sport reported that some Premier League sides had sought legal advice on whether they could pursue compensation if they believed City’s conduct had affected their financial position or sporting outcome. Such claims would be distinct from the league’s disciplinary process and have not been determined.
For now, the clearest position from current reporting is narrow: multiple outlets report that the panel has reached an adverse finding against City on most charges, while the official decision, reasons, sanction and appeal outcome remain outstanding.