Man City surprised after Premier League confirms findings of financial breaches

The Premier League announced on Tuesday that an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of all charges related to serious financial breaches between 2009 and 2018.

City were charged in February 2023 following a four-year investigation into alleged breaches between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

The club, which denies wrongdoing, said in a statement it would appeal "on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe".

An independent commission found that City arranged 'sham' contracts that misrepresented the true agreements with several commercial partners and relied on similar agreements with others to inflate their revenue and reduce costs artificially, the league said.

The schemes inflated City’s revenue and reduced their costs by more than 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion), creating the appearance that the club complied with financial regulations, the league added.

The commission concluded that City would have breached both the Premier League’s and UEFA's spending limits "by a very substantial amount" had the agreements been reported accurately.

CITY TO APPEAL

City said they were disappointed and surprised by the commission's opinion.

"The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case," the club said.

"Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."

The club has until October 2 to lodge an appeal.

Club statement.

🔗 https://t.co/yrJ8Z0A52Y pic.twitter.com/0NP2k33JT9

— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 29, 2026