Manchester City Found Guilty of Financial Rule Breaches

Manchester City has been found guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, with allegations spanning nine years from 2009 to 2018. The club is accused of manipulating their accounts through sham sponsorship contracts totaling over £900 million ($1.2 billion).

The case began nearly eight years ago following allegations from German publication Der Spiegel, which claimed City attempted to circumvent UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations by allowing backdated cash injections from Abu Dhabi-based sponsors. In response, City stated that the claims stemmed from an “illegal hack” and were part of a coordinated effort to damage their reputation.

UEFA and the Premier League initiated investigations, leading to a two-year ban from European competitions and a €30 million fine for City, which they appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The ban was overturned, but a fine was imposed due to the club's lack of cooperation.

The Premier League later referred City to an independent commission over more than 100 alleged breaches, which City continues to deny.