Premier League finds Manchester City guilty of financial-rule breaches spanning nine seasons

Manchester City found guilty of extensive financial breaches

The Premier League has confirmed that Manchester City were found guilty of breaching the competition’s financial rules throughout the period from the 2009-10 season to 2017-18.

An independent commission concluded that the club arranged “sham contracts” with several commercial partners and relied on agreements that artificially increased its reported revenue while reducing costs. The report described the arrangements as part of a “disguised funding scheme” worth £830.69m.

The charges covered well over 100 alleged individual breaches across four broad categories. The commission found City guilty of every charge except one connected to the club’s failure to co-operate with the Premier League’s investigation. City were found guilty of the majority of the non-co-operation charges.

Premier League says case established the facts

Richard Masters, the Premier League’s chief executive, said the decision established what happened at Manchester City during the period under investigation and showed that the club had “systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade”.

“It also vindicates the Premier League's decision to pursue this case against Manchester City,” Masters said.

Masters added that upholding the rules was essential to protecting the integrity of the competition and ensuring that the league remained fair and competitive for clubs and supporters.

The commission’s redacted report has now been published. The next stage will focus on potential sanctions, with the scale and timing of any punishment yet to be determined.