Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges against them for breaking the Premier League’s financial regulations, reports The Athletic. The sanctions have not yet been determined. The PL rules provide a wide range of options to the panel, everything from reprimands and fine to points and deductions and expulsion from the league. The club will appeal the decision. They are likely to appeal whatever punishment is handed them, too.
City were charged in 2023 following a four-year
investigation into their finances from 2009-2018. The club were charged with failing to provide accurate information and details about player and coach payment, breaching UEFA’s financial fair play (FFP) regulations, and the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR). The charges also included 35 counts relating to failure to cooperate with the investigation.
In 2020, UEFA handed Manchester City a 2-year ban and a €30M fine for similar infractions. The punishment was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which found that some of the breaches were time-barred and others were not properly established. CAS did find that City needed to be “severely reproached” for “severe” conduct relating to failures to provide evidence to investigators.
During that ‘09-’18 window that was under investigation, Manchester City won three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and four League Cups. Since then, they’ve won five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, four League Cups, and the Champions League.
As mentioned, the panel has yet to decide on Manchester City’s punishment and what sanctions they’ll face. During the pendency of the charges, reports mentioned that many clubs, Arsenal included, were weighing their options and preparing lawsuits against Manchester City in the event they were found guilty of the charges.
I’ll save the editorializing for later in another post. It’s probably best to let it marinate for a bit. But I’ll at least say this: it feels nice to be able to drop the “alleged” / “if they’re found guilty” part that fairness compelled me to add every time I wrote or spoke about the charges and potential punishment.
