Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has addressed supporters directly following reports that the club were found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League for alleged breaches of its financial rules.
The findings emerged on Friday afternoon, with Al Mubarak publishing his open letter via the club's website the following day. The charges relate to the period between 2009 and 2018 and were first laid by the Premier League in February 2023 after a four-year investigation. A 12-week hearing before a three-person independent panel concluded in December 2024, some 22 months before the verdict was reported.
The club has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing. A brief statement issued on Friday night asserted that significant elements of the Premier League's process remained to be completed and that proceedings were subject to strict confidentiality. The independent panel has yet to publish its formal findings, and the Premier League has made no official comment.
"There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position. But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies," Al Mubarak wrote.
The chairman told supporters that their confidence and intent in proving the club's innocence was just as strong as when the process began, and that the club would not hand those seeking to undermine its momentum the opportunity to do so. He pointed to forthcoming fixtures — a visit to Anfield and a home Champions League tie against Paris St Germain — as cause for collective focus.
Sanctions have not yet been determined. The range of possible punishments is broad, extending from fines and transfer bans through to points deductions and expulsion from the Premier League. Premier League clubs past and present are understood to be considering collective legal action once any appeal process has concluded, with a starting figure of £2 billion in damages for missed titles and European campaigns. City are expected to appeal once charges are officially confirmed.
The Independent Football Regulator also features as a potential factor, having stated that while owners running clubs effectively would experience minimal impact, it retained the power to act where concerns about an incumbent's suitability arose. City's owners could face calls to stand down as a result.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described the situation as destabilising — not only for City fans but for all supporters who need to trust in the integrity and fairness of the game. She expressed hope the matter could be resolved as swiftly as possible.
Former City chairman David Bernstein, who held the role between 1998 and 2003, was stark in his assessment, telling Times Radio that if the club were found guilty after appeal, financial penalties alone would not suffice and that something more drastic would be required. Other Premier League clubs are said not to expect City to be stripped of titles, largely because of the legal complexities surrounding retrospective punishment.
Reporting: CaughtOffside, GiveMeSport, Evening Standard, talkSPORT, RTÉ, Metro, Daily Mail, Daily Star, The Sun.