Manchester City have been found guilty of the vast majority of 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations, following a long-running case over the club’s conduct between 2009 and 2018.
City have consistently denied the charges. The independent panel’s hearing concluded in 2024, but the verdict has only now been reached in a decision viewed as a major victory for the Premier League and its chief executive, Richard Masters.
The potential consequences are significant. City could face a substantial points deduction, a financial penalty, a transfer ban or even relegation, although the eventual sanction will depend on the panel’s findings and any subsequent appeal.
What happens after the Manchester City verdict?
Neither the Premier League nor City has provided a detailed public response. The club has indicated only that the process remains ongoing and subject to strict confidentiality.
City are expected to appeal. An appeal board would be appointed by the chair of the original panel and would comprise three people, although critics may argue that such a process amounts to the Premier League marking its own homework.
City could also contend that the panel was not impartial, but that would be a difficult argument to establish. Unlike the club’s previous case involving Uefa, there would be no route to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The possible punishments are set out broadly in the Premier League handbook. Rule W51 allows for “such other penalty as it shall think fit”, leaving a wide range of sanctions available to the competition.
There is speculation among some clubs that the eventual punishment may be less severe than points deductions leading to relegation or the removal of titles. That view has been influenced by the lack of public reaction from many clubs and the comparatively lenient punishment recently imposed on Chelsea.
Premier League clubs consider compensation claims
Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United served legal notices last year reserving their right to take action against City if the verdict stood. The move is understood to have been instigated by former Arsenal chief executive Tim Lewis.
The clubs could seek damages over a range of alleged consequences. The largest claims may come from teams who believe they missed out on Champions League qualification during the period covered by the case.
Other potential claims could centre on whether the alleged breaches affected clubs’ ability to sign players of a higher calibre and compete more successfully. Figures of up to £200 million have been suggested, although the scale of any claims remains uncertain.
The independent football regulator is also aware of the situation. It has powers to force a club’s owners to sell if they are deemed unsuitable, though such action against City’s owners is regarded as unlikely.
Before the detailed verdict is released, the Premier League and City are expected to negotiate over its publication. The finding could run to hundreds of pages, with both sides reviewing proposed redactions.
The case is separate from City’s recent legal challenge to the Premier League’s sponsorship rules. Three senior judges ruled those rules unlawful, prompting amendments, but City subsequently reached an agreement with the league in September.
