Manchester City guilty on all 115 Premier League charges
An independent commission ruled City breached financial rules from 2009/10 to 2017/18 through sham contracts and hidden accounts; the club will appeal.
Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between 2009/10 and 2017/18, an independent commission has ruled.
The commission found that City arranged sham contracts with a number of commercial partners to inflate revenues and cut costs by more than £900m artificially. It also found the club filed accounts that concealed its true financial position from auditors and regulators, and that City was significantly in breach of both Premier League and UEFA spending limits over the period. The commission further found that City failed to co-operate and act in good faith during the league's investigation.
City have confirmed they will appeal against the ruling and have until Friday to lodge it.
Sanctions will be dealt with separately, at a further private hearing before the same independent commission. The Premier League said that hearing will remain confidential until publication of the outcome is permitted.
Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, said the core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during the period in question.
The case has run since charges were first brought against City in February 2023, covering 115 alleged breaches. A guilty finding on every charge marks the most serious verdict yet delivered against a Premier League club, and the sanction to follow, still to be decided, will determine how heavily City are punished.
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