The major scandal that has been rocking the Premier League for years has now moved to the next stage. The independent commission that investigated the case found Manchester City guilty of serious violations of the league’s financial regulations, covering a period of nine seasons, from 2009–10 through 2017–18.
According to the committee’s findings, City used fictitious or misleading commercial agreements with its sponsors, resulting in artificially inflated revenue and reduced operating expenses. The total impact of these arrangements is estimated at more than 900 million pounds.
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The Commission also found that the club submitted inaccurate financial statements and did not present a true and fair view of its finances to auditors and soccer authorities. At the same time, a significant violation of both the Premier League’s financial regulations and the corresponding UEFA rules was found.
Regarding its cooperation with the Premier League’s investigation, the Commission upheld three of the four allegations against Manchester City, finding that the club repeatedly violated its obligations to cooperate and act in good faith during the four-year investigation.
Today’s decision, however, does not address the penalty. The issue of sanctions will be considered separately by the independent Commission in a new proceeding. The Premier League states that potential sanctions include fines, point deductions, and other sporting sanctions, though no specific penalty has been announced at this stage.
Manchester City, meanwhile, has the right to appeal the Commission’s findings, with the deadline for filing an appeal set for Friday, October 2. Consequently, the case remains ongoing.
The Premier League’s investigation began in December 2018, and the complaint was referred to an independent Commission in February 2023. The hearing lasted 42 days and concluded in December 2024.
The Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, described the case and the Commission’s decision as the most significant in the league’s history, emphasizing that the specific sanction to be imposed has yet to be determined.
The Premier League has published a redacted version of the Commission’s main decision and has stated that it will release additional details when permitted by regulations and confidentiality restrictions.
*photo source: AP
