Manchester City have been found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League for breaching the competition’s financial regulations, according to a report from The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
The verdict, delivered by an independent commission more than three and a half years after the charges were first issued in February 2023, marks a seismic moment in English football’s longest-running and most consequential financial regulation case.
The charges related to alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018, spanning accusations that City failed to provide accurate financial information and details of payments to players and managers, as well as failing to cooperate fully with the Premier League’s investigation.
Club to appeal as sanctions remain undecided
City are expected to appeal the ruling, though no sanctions have yet been announced. The scale of possible punishment remains one of the most keenly debated questions in the English game.
Football finance experts having long suggested that a significant points deduction — rather than the more severe prospect of relegation or expulsion — is the most probable outcome, should the club’s appeal fail.
The independent commission’s hearing itself ran for twelve weeks at London’s International Dispute Resolution Centre, concluding in December 2024. Since then, City, the Premier League and rival clubs have endured a lengthy and increasingly fraught wait for a resolution, with the process shrouded in strict confidentiality throughout.
Responding to the reports on Friday, a Manchester City spokesperson said: “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.”
Ferdinand’s 10-word reaction goes viral immediatelyÂ
News of the verdict spread rapidly across social media, with former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand among the first high-profile figures to respond.
In a post that quickly went viral, Ferdinand offered a pointed ten-word reaction, referencing City’s dominance of the Premier League during the period under scrutiny. It was a dominance that saw the club deny United the title on goal difference in 2011-12, the season Ferdinand was part of the losing United side.
“Another Premier League medal to be added to the cabinet,” Ferdinand wrote.
Should City ultimately be handed a retrospective points deduction, questions would inevitably follow over the status of those title-winning campaigns. However, most legal and financial analysts believe any sanction is more likely to be applied prospectively rather than unpicking already-completed seasons.
The verdict lands at a moment of significant transition at the Etihad Stadium. City are adjusting to life under new head coach Enzo Maresca, who has taken charge following a summer of upheaval at the club, as the Cityzens look to rebuild both on the pitch and in the court of public opinion.
