An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, as well as the majority of charges relating to the club’s failure to co-operate with the league’s investigation.
The findings cover the period between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons. City have until Friday, October 2, to appeal the commission’s decision.
The commission found that City arranged or relied on “sham” contracts with several commercial partners to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs. It also ruled that the club submitted misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from auditors and football regulators.
City were also found to have significantly breached the Premier League’s and UEFA’s spending limits.
On the charges relating to co-operation, three of the four alleged breaches were upheld. The commission found that the club had committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith towards the Premier League during the investigation.
The Premier League Board says it intends for the full process, including any appeals and the publication of relevant decisions, to be concluded as soon as possible.
Manchester City have the right to appeal the findings. The Premier League has not announced any sanction in the statement provided.
