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| Photo credit — The outside view of the Manchester City stadium |
Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, the league confirmed on Tuesday, 29 September 2026.
An independent Commission ruled that the club arranged “sham” contracts with several commercial partners and relied on other “sham” agreements. These were designed to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs. The Commission also found that the club filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from auditors and football regulators.
According to the Premier League, these arrangements formed part of a disguised funding scheme involving Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club at the time. ADUG funded portions of sponsorship agreements and other arrangements, allowing City to record lower operating expenses than were actually incurred.
The Commission concluded the schemes artificially increased the club’s revenues and reduced its costs by more than £900 million during the period under investigation.
The findings established that Manchester City significantly breached both the Premier League’s spending limits and UEFA’s financial rules. The Commission stated the club would have breached both sets of regulations by a substantial amount if the relevant agreements had been accurately recorded in its accounts.
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City were also found guilty of three of the four alleged breaches relating to their failure to co-operate with the Premier League’s investigation, which began in December 2018. The Commission concluded the club made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the probe.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters described the case as the most significant in the competition’s history. “The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade,” he said. He added that the league is committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process to provide certainty for clubs and fans.
Sanctions have not yet been decided. They will be considered at a separate hearing by the independent Commission. Possible penalties under Premier League rules include fines, points deductions, and other sporting sanctions.
Manchester City have the right to appeal and must do so by Friday, 2 October 2026. In a club statement, Manchester City said they were “disappointed and surprised” by the Commission’s opinion. The club maintained it is “innocent of the accusations” and that “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions.” It added that it will pursue all available appeal avenues, arguing the opinion contains “clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.”
The investigation began in December 2018. Formal charges were issued in February 2023. The independent Commission held a 42-day hearing that concluded in December 2024.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, now in charge of the United States national team, reacted to the findings by saying English football had “lived through a period of deception.” “Whatever punishment [they choose], it’s impossible to turn back time,” he said. “It’s done a lot of damage. Many clubs followed the rules and some didn’t… If it’s true all of the 114 rules that were broken, we’ve lived through a period of deception.”
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What happens next?
The sanction hearing remains pending. Any appeal by Manchester City would be heard by a separate Appeal Board. The Premier League has stated its intention to conclude the full process, including any appeal and publication of relevant decisions, as soon as possible.
Sources
• Official Premier League statement, 29 September 2026
• Manchester City club statement, 29 September 2026
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Technology.
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