Manchester City has been found guilty of all charges concerning major breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations spanning nine seasons, according to an official league announcement. The English champions were also found guilty of most charges relating to a failure to cooperate with the league’s multi-year investigation.
An independent commission determined that the club utilized illicit schemes to artificially inflate the club’s revenues, and reduce its costs, by more than £900m during the affected period, to appear to comply with financial rules. Regulators revealed that these mechanisms were designed to project a false state of financial health to auditors and football authorities.
The violations occurred between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 campaigns. During this nine-season timeframe, Manchester City arranged “sham” contracts with several commercial partners that misrepresented the actual terms of their agreements, while also submitting inaccurate accounts to conceal their true financial status.
Richard Masters, the chief executive of the Premier League, stated that the ruling firmly establishes the facts of what transpired at the club during nearly a decade of systemic rule-breaking. Masters added that the decision vindicates the league’s resolve to pursue the complex case and ensure the facts were independently established despite a long and difficult process. Download it from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for ”, if you don’t have app. In app, tap the Profile settings button at the top right, then select Notifications. Make sure you’re on the most recent version, if you already have app.
Manchester City has consistently denied any wrongdoing and indicated plans to continue fighting to clear their reputation. The club has been given a deadline of 2 October to submit an official appeal against the commission’s findings.
