Manchester City have been found guilty on almost all of the charges brought against them over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.
According to The Athletic, City were found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges, citing sources briefed on the matter. The sanctions have not yet been decided, with a range of possible punishments still available to the independent commission.
City are expected to appeal the decision.
The Premier League originally charged Manchester City in February 2023 following a four-year investigation into the club’s financial conduct.
The allegations covered the period between 2009 and 2018 and included claims that City failed to provide accurate financial information, details relating to payments made to players and coaches, and information concerning compliance with UEFA financial regulations and the Premier League’s financial rules.
Manchester City have consistently denied wrongdoing.
Responding to the latest reports, a City spokesperson said the Premier League process remained ongoing and that important elements were still to be completed under strict confidentiality.
The club maintained the position it first expressed when the charges were announced in February 2023, when it said it welcomed the opportunity for the case to be considered by an independent commission.
The investigation followed the publication of leaked financial documents by German publication Der Spiegel in 2018.
City have previously faced financial disciplinary proceedings in European competition. UEFA banned the club from its competitions for two seasons and imposed a €30 million fine in February 2020, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the ban later that year.
CAS ruled that some of the alleged breaches had either not been established or were time-barred. City were, however, found to have failed to cooperate fully with UEFA's investigation and were fined £8.8 million.
The Premier League case has taken more than three years since the charges were formally announced, with league chief executive Richard Masters previously acknowledging that the process had lasted longer than expected.
Attention will now turn to the sanctions stage.
Premier League rules provide several possible punishments, ranging from a reprimand and financial penalties to points deductions and, in the most severe circumstances, expulsion from the competition.
The independent commission can also combine sanctions, although any punishment would be expected to reflect the nature and seriousness of the breaches.
No sanction has yet been confirmed.
The outcome could therefore have major implications for Manchester City, but the disciplinary process is not yet concluded, particularly with the club expected to challenge the decision through an appeal.
