Man City found guilty on almost all of 115 charges as verdict finally released
A verdict on Manchester City's 115 charges case with the Premier League has been made public following months of speculation, with the club being found guilty on virtually every charge.
Back in February 2023, the Premier League charged City with breaking financial fair play rules on 115 occasions over a nine-year period, with 54 of those relating to a failure to provide up-to-date financial information.
City were establishing themselves as one of Europe's top competitors during that period, which started in 2009 and went on until 2018, spending around €1.44bn on new players, according to figures from Transfermarkt.
READ MORE: How Manchester City's 115 charges case could have a political impact on the United Kingdom
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They also lifted the Premier League title on three occasions in 2012, 2014 and 2018.
Since the charges were brought against them in 2023, the Manchester-based club have strenuously denied any wrongdoing, claiming they have a "body of irrefutable evidence" that has been provided as part of their defence.
City's hearing in the case against the Premier League ran across a 12-week period between September and December 2024, with suggestions that a timeframe between the hearing and the judgment would take months given the sheer volume of information involved.
Manchester City found guilty on almost all Premier League charges
After a lengthy wait, it has finally emerged that City have been found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.
It must be noted that no sanctions have been decided, and City are expected to appeal the verdict from the independent commission. As mentioned in the aforementioned report, all possibilities remain on the table.
Speaking to The Athletic, a City source commented: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.
“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”
What punishment could Man City face?
Potential punishments include fines, points deductions or even, in the most severe scenario, relegation from the Premier League.
Here's what punishments the independent commission can impose on a club, as per Sky Sports:
- Suspend a club from playing league matches
- Points deductions
- Recommend to the board that league matches be replayed
- Recommend to the board that the league expels the respondent club
- Order compensation
- Cancel or refuse registration of players
- Conditional punishment
- Order the club to pay costs
- Make such other order as it thinks fit
Manchester City's 115 charges in full
Here is a full breakdown of the charges laid against City by the Premier League, with a small minority of the charges also involving UEFA.
- Failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009/10 to and including 2017/18 - 54 alleged breaches
- Failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 - present [February 2023] - 35 alleged breaches
- Failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation from 2009/10 to and including 2017/18 - 14 alleged breaches
- Breaches of Premier League profitability and sustainability regulations from 2015/16 to and including 2017/18 - 7 alleged breaches
- Failure to comply with UEFA's regulations, including UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations - 5 alleged breaches
Jack Kenmare