Manchester City found guilty of major financial rule breaches
Manchester City found guilty of major financial rule breaches
Updated at: October 1, 2026 at 03:30 AM
In a historic ruling this September, an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of 114 out of 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules.
The investigation, which spanned from 2009 to 2018, concluded that the club systematically engaged in a 'disguised funding scheme.'
The commission revealed that over £830 million in sponsorship income was actually funded by the club’s owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group, rather than genuine commercial partners.
By artificially inflating revenue by roughly £900 million, the club avoided violating Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
Additionally, the club was found guilty of failing to cooperate with league investigators between 2018 and 2023.
While Manchester City maintains its innocence and plans to appeal the decision by October 2, 2026, the implications are profound.
Potential sanctions range from heavy fines to expulsion from the league, a move many rival clubs are calling for as a fair penalty for long-term deliberate rule-breaking.
