FA warns Manchester City verdict has 'significant implications' for game's integrity
FA breaks silence with warning over Manchester City financial breaches
The Football Association has issued its first public response since an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of multiple breaches of Premier League financial regulations, warning that the verdict carries "significant implications for the integrity of the game."
In a statement released on Friday, the governing body confirmed it holds the power to take disciplinary action against both the club and key individuals, but said it would wait for the appeals process to run its course before deciding whether to act.
"The Independent Commission's decision has significant implications for the integrity of the game," the FA statement read. "We are carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate.
"As proceedings between the Premier League and Manchester City Football Club remain ongoing, we do not intend to comment further at this stage. We will, however, continue to monitor developments closely."
What the commission found
Manchester City intend to appeal against the verdict of the commission, which — after a 42-day hearing — concluded that the club had used a "Disguised Funding Scheme" and "sham contracts" to boost their income by more than £900m between 2009 and 2018. The ruling, published this week, found City guilty of the majority of the 115 financial rules charges they faced, in a decision that has thrown a decade of the club's successes into question.
The FA's standard practice is to allow disciplinary proceedings conducted by the leagues — such as the Premier League or the EFL — to conclude before it intervenes. Based on the Premier League's rulebook, the City appeal should be completed by the end of January.
Powers over individuals
The FA also confirmed it has powers to take action against individuals proven to have broken rules and/or acted dishonestly — a finding the commission reached in relation to those involved at City. The names of those individuals were redacted in the 40-page core judgment published this week, though the FA could request an unredacted version from the Premier League.
"The FA has additional powers to take action against individuals," the report noted, adding that the governing body did not pursue individuals in the Chelsea case because those involved were no longer working in football.
Precedent: Chelsea and Southampton
The FA's approach can be seen in recent cases. In July, the FA fined Chelsea £10m and imposed a suspended two-window transfer ban after the club admitted 74 breaches of its agent regulations — four months after the Premier League fined them £10.75m for the same offences, which related to unlawful payments to players and agents.
Separately, the FA charged Southampton manager Tonda Eckert with misconduct over the so-called Spygate saga involving Middlesbrough this summer, with a disciplinary hearing held last month that could result in the German being handed a lengthy ban from football.
The City verdict has already stirred wider unease within the game. On 26 September, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC Radio 5 Live that "most football fans will be feeling this is not a good moment for football as a whole," emphasising the need for rules to be applied "fairly and consistently."