Man City Verdict: Guilty on 114 of 115 Charges, Club Vows Appeal

The Premier League confirmed on September 29 that an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of the league's financial rules, in a case that has hung over English football for almost eight years. The Man City verdict upheld all but one of the 115 charges brought against the club, covering the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons. City immediately rejected the findings and said it would appeal, with a deadline of Friday, October 2.

First reported by The Athletic's David Ornstein on September 25 and confirmed by the league four days later, the Man City verdict also upheld three of four allegations that City failed to cooperate with the investigation, according to the Premier League's published account of the findings. No punishment has been imposed. That decision will be made at a separate hearing once the appeals process plays out, which means nothing changes on the pitch in the meantime.

The sham contracts at the center of the case

Documents show that the Man City verdict centered on commercial arrangements the Premier League described as "sham contracts." According to the league, several sponsors paid less than their contracts stated, while the shortfall was funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development, the company that owned City during the period in question. The league said further arrangements funded by the same owner allowed the club to record lower operating expenses than it had actually incurred.

According to the Man City verdict, the combined effect was to artificially inflate the club's reported revenues and reduce its costs by a total the commission valued at nine hundred million pounds. The commission also concluded that City filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from auditors and football regulators, and that the club had breached both Premier League and UEFA spending limits during the years under scrutiny. The league's investigation began in December 2018, and the confidential hearing ran from September 16 to December 6, 2024. A full timeline of the charges, from the 2018 investigation through this week's ruling, is tracked on the case's reference page: Manchester City financial breaches case.

City fights back

In a statement responding to the Man City verdict, Manchester City said it was "disappointed and surprised" by the commission's opinion and insisted that the evidence supporting its innocence was "irrefutable." The club said it would be "relentless" in pursuing every available legal avenue, arguing that the opinion contains material errors "of law, principle and fact" and is unsafe. City maintained throughout the process that the extensive evidence it submitted disproved the league's case, and its position has not changed.

An appeal would be heard by a fresh independent panel and could significantly extend a process that is already years in the making. If the Man City verdict survives the appeal, the sanctions fall to the independent panel: under Premier League regulations, the available punishments include fines, points deductions, relegation and even the annulment of previous titles. The period covered by the charges includes the title-winning 2011/12 and 2013/14 campaigns, plus the final season under scrutiny, each of which ended with City lifting the league trophy. Those titles are not automatically affected, but the question of what happens to them will loom over every step of the sanctions process, as reported by Liverpool.com.

Guardiola stands by the club

On September 30, manager Pep Guardiola posted on X in his first public reaction to the Man City verdict, saying he had "always" stood behind the club and that they would "get through this together" with supporters. Guardiola has managed City since 2016, overseeing six Premier League titles, a Champions League crown and a treble in 2023, although the bulk of the period covered by the charges predates his arrival.

The Man City verdict settles the question of guilt in one of the longest-running disputes in Premier League history, and the sanctions process that follows will shape how the league enforces its spending rules. For years, rival supporters have demanded severe punishment while City's backers have called the process itself flawed. Both sides now face a long wait: the appeal, then a separate sanctions hearing, then whatever follows. Until those steps conclude, the club keeps playing, the table keeps turning, and the appeal deadline is the next date that matters. For more on this week's sports stories, see how to watch the MLB Wild Card without cable and the latest on the four Game 1 winners eyeing the sweep.