It has taken more than two years, but a judgement finally appears to have been reached on the 115 charges levelled against Manchester City over breaches of Premier League financial rules. Following a four-year investigation, City were charged and the hearing finally got under way on 16 September 2024. BBC Sport has now learned a decision has been made, after the Athletic reported City had been found guilty on all almost of the charges.
We are not at the end of this process, however. But what does this mean for City's titles? What about their Premier League status?
And how long will it be before this saga does come to an end? Man City found guilty of majority of 115 financial rule breaches - sources tell BBC In February 2023, City were charged and referred to an independent commission over alleged breaches that were said to have taken place between 2009 and 2018. The charges - relating to Premier League financial rules - are: 54 x failure to provide accurate financial information from 2009-10 to 2017-18. 14 x failure to provide accurate details for player and manager payments from 2009-10 to 2017-18. 5 x failure to comply with Uefa's rules including financial fair play (FFP) 2013-14 to 2017-18. 7 x breaching Premier League profit and sustainability (PSR) rules from 2015-16 to 2017-18. 35 x failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to Feb 2023.
City have always denied wrongdoing and BBC Sport has been told they would appeal were they found guilty. German newspaper Der Spiegel published leaked documents, including emails purportedly sent between top City executives (some of whom remain at the City Football Group), across several seasons following the club's Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008. It alleged these showed the club had inflated sponsorship revenue from state-owned airline Etihad and state-controlled telecoms firm Etisalat by disguising direct investment from their holding company (Sheik Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group, or ADUG) as sponsorship income by channelling the funds through the companies' accounts.
This, it was alleged, was a means of meeting FFP rules introduced by Uefa in 2011 - and PSR brought in by the Premier League in 2012 - limiting clubs' permitted losses. There then followed further allegations of misreporting financial information centred on documents that claimed to show secret 'off-the-books' payments to then manager Roberto Mancini via consultancy fees from a club in Abu Dhabi. It is also alleged the club gave players more money than was officially going through the accounts so recorded spending was less than it actually was.
City, who have always maintained ADUG is a private fund rather than an arm of the state, refused to comment on any of Der Spiegel's revelations, saying the leaked emails were obtained illegally, and they were an "attempt to damage the club's reputation". City - along with the companies involved - strongly denied breaking any financial rules. But that did not stop both Uefa and the Premier League launching investigations as a result.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
