After almost three years of waiting, the case that has kept the Premier League on hold has reached a turning point: Manchester City have been found guilty of almost all 115 charges relating to alleged breaches of the English top flight's financial rules. The investigation covers a period from the 2009/10 to 2022/23 seasons, during which the club won 20 trophies, including four consecutive league titles. The charges relate to the presentation of inaccurate financial information, breaches of Financial Fair Play rules, manipulation of sponsorship contracts and failure to declare payments to several players and former manager Roberto Mancini.
No sanctions yet, but appeal is already announced
No sanctions have been announced at the moment: City risk being stripped of the titles won in the period covered by the investigation, a points penalty, a financial fine or, in the most extreme case, direct relegation to the Championship, which would be a disaster. The club managed by Maresca entered the international break in first place in the standings and has already announced that it will appeal against the decision of the independent commission that found them guilty of 114 out of 115 charges, as reported by The Athletic.
A spokesman said: “The Premier League process is still ongoing, with important elements still to be finalised and subject to strict confidentiality. Manchester City FC’s position therefore remains in line with the statement released by the club in February 2023.” City have always denied the allegations, claiming that they have irrefutable evidence in their favour, which at the moment does not appear to be decisive for the outcome of the process that has found them guilty. The investigation was triggered by several leaked Football Leaks documents, which raised suspicions of systematic breaches of financial rules: 115 charges were formalised in 2023 and the first decision came a few weeks after the start of the new season, the first after Pep Guardiola’s long cycle.
What is at stake for Manchester City?
The process is still open and no sanctions have been announced. But the Premier League regulations are clear in these situations and provide for a number of options for the commission: if City is found guilty, they risk a reprimand, a fine or a points penalty in the standings (the scenario that seems closer to reality), with a deduction for this season, but also retroactively. This would also entail the loss of several titles. The greatest risk is clearly relegation, a scenario that should not be ruled out, also because the commission can combine some of the sanctions provided for by the regulations, as long as they are proportional to the alleged violations.
