Manchester City Reportedly Found Guilty on 114 of 115 Premier League Financial Charges

Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them over alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules. No sanction has yet been announced, while the club maintains that the process remains ongoing and is expected to challenge the findings.

Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of almost all the financial rule breaches brought against the club by the Premier League, marking a major development in one of the longest-running regulatory cases in English football.

Reports published on September 25 said an independent commission had found 114 of the 115 charges against City proven. The Premier League has not formally published the decision and has declined to comment, citing the confidential nature of the proceedings. Manchester City, meanwhile, has stressed that the process is not yet complete.

The case dates back to February 2023, when the Premier League referred Manchester City to an independent commission following an investigation into the club's finances. The allegations covered a series of Premier League rules across a period stretching from the 2009/10 season through to 2022/23, although the principal financial reporting allegations concern the years from 2009/10 to 2017/18.

The 115 charges were divided into several categories. They included 54 allegations relating to the provision of accurate financial information, 14 concerning details of player and manager remuneration, five relating to compliance with UEFA financial rules, seven concerning the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules, and 35 relating to the club's cooperation with the league's investigation.

Among the central issues was whether City had provided the Premier League with accurate information giving a true and fair picture of its revenues, including sponsorship income, related-party arrangements and operating costs. The Premier League's original February 2023 statement also alleged breaches relating to remuneration information and the club's obligation to assist the investigation.

The independent commission's hearing began on September 16, 2024 and concluded in December of that year. According to reports, the panel has now reached findings on the charges, but its detailed written judgment has not been made public. It therefore remains unclear which single charge was not proven and how the commission assessed each individual allegation.

No punishment has yet been announced. Under Premier League disciplinary rules, an independent commission has a wide range of sanctions available, including financial penalties, points deductions and other sporting measures. The rules also allow a commission to suspend a club from league matches or recommend expulsion to the Premier League board in sufficiently serious cases. At this stage, however, any discussion about the eventual punishment remains speculative.

Manchester City has maintained the position it adopted when the charges were first announced. In its September 25 response, the club said that the Premier League process remained ongoing and that significant elements were still to be completed. City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak followed with an open letter to supporters, saying the club's confidence in proving its innocence remained unchanged and that the process still had a long way to run.

The case is separate from Manchester City's previous dispute with the Premier League over Associated Party Transaction rules. That arbitration was settled in September 2025, with City accepting that the league's then-current APT rules were valid and binding.

The reported findings represent a major step in the case, but they are unlikely to mark its immediate conclusion. With sanctions still undecided, an appeal expected and the full judgment yet to be published, the final consequences for Manchester City could take further time to establish. Until the Premier League releases the commission's decision, the precise findings — and their sporting impact — remain unresolved.