Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of the 115 Premier League financial rule charges brought against them in February 2023, with no sanction yet determined and the club understood to be preparing an appeal.
A three-man independent panel delivered the verdict after a hearing that concluded in December 2024, having taken three-and-a-half years from charge to decision. The original 115 charges were extended to a total of 130 after an administration issue, making it the most expensive and wide-ranging case in English football history.
The charges cover alleged breaches across a nine-year period from 2009-10 to 2017-18, touching on inaccurate financial reporting, undisclosed player and manager payments, profitability and sustainability violations, and failures to comply with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules. A further 35 counts relate to a failure to co-operate with the league's investigation between December 2018 and February 2023. City have consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The range of punishments available to the panel runs from fines through points deductions to expulsion from the league. Points deductions could also be applied retrospectively, raising the possibility of titles being stripped. A separate hearing will be held to determine the appropriate sanction.
City are expected to challenge the verdict formally, triggering the appeals process. Any appeal must be submitted within 14 days of the decision being announced, with the subsequent hearing required to conclude within 12 weeks under Rule W.86. The appeal would be heard by a new three-person commission, chaired by someone who has held judicial office, appointed by Sir Gary Hickinbottom. Under Rule W.97, the Appeal Board's decision is final, though arbitration remains a further avenue.
Should the guilty verdict ultimately stand, compensation claims are likely to follow. Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham have each taken the necessary legal steps under Section W of the Premier League Handbook to preserve their right to seek damages for loss of earnings, preventing the statute of limitations from running out. Successful claims across those clubs could exceed £200 million, with the scope potentially extending to later campaigns on grounds of loss of chance.
A recent legal precedent underlines the financial stakes. Burnley won a landmark case against Everton in June 2026, with the Merseyside club ordered to pay close to £40 million after Burnley successfully argued that Everton's financial breach had conferred a sporting advantage. Everton had finished 16th on 39 points that season; Burnley were relegated in 18th, just four points behind.
Rodri, who joined Barcelona this summer after seven years at City, became the first figure closely associated with the club to speak after Friday's news, addressing reporters ahead of Spain's UEFA Nations League match against England. "We faced something similar in 2020, a similar judicial process. A different accusation but similar process," he said. "There as well in the first instance we were found guilty but we believed in the club and the innocence that the club maintained and in the end we were acquitted. I believe in the justice system and I believe in the innocence of the club. What we did, they cannot take it out of us. It is something that is not paid by money, it is paid with effort, partnership and being shoulder to shoulder every day. We had a lot of success over the years and here at Wembley so I can tell you everything was deserved and we had one of the best eras of English football."
Spain's media officer appeared to bring the press conference to an early close as questions continued to focus on City's situation.
Reporting: GiveMeSport, The Guardian, Football Insider, BBC Sport, CaughtOffside, Football.London, The Athletic, ESPN, RTÉ, Evening Standard, Sky Sports, The Sun, Mirror, Daily Mail.