Manchester City found guilty of all serious Premier League financial breach charges

September 29, 2026 at 09:30 PM2 min

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Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges of serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, the league announced on Tuesday. The club said it was 'disappointed and surprised' by the verdict and will appeal. The independent commission found City used schemes to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million during the affected period.

Key Facts

The independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009/10 and 2017/18.
The commission determined that City used schemes to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million during the affected period.
City were found to have arranged 'sham' contracts with commercial partners that misrepresented the true agreements between the parties.
The club said it was 'disappointed and surprised' by the commission's opinion and will pursue appeal avenues, claiming the opinion contains clear material errors.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the core decision details how the club systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade.

The Verdict

The Premier League announced on Tuesday that Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges of serious breaches of its financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons. The independent commission also found the club guilty of most charges related to failing to cooperate with the league's investigation. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the core decision details how the club systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade. Masters added that elements of the case remain to be decided, including what sanction must follow for these breaches.

Financial Irregularities

The commission found that City arranged 'sham' contracts with a number of commercial partners, misrepresenting the true agreement between the parties. These schemes artificially inflated the club's revenues and reduced its costs by more than £900 million during the affected period to appear compliant with financial rules. The commission determined that City concealed its true financial position from auditors and football regulators and submitted inaccurate financial accounts. City also substantially exceeded spending limits set by the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules and UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations.

Club Response

Manchester City said they were 'disappointed and surprised' by the commission's opinion and deny any wrongdoing. The club stated it is innocent of the accusations and that a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of its positions. City will pursue appeal avenues on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.