Frank Christian
Manchester City is facing legal challenges due to accusations from the Premier League.
Last year, the club was charged with 115 instances of violating financial regulations established by the league.
As per the Premier League’s statement, the charges against the reigning champions, who have secured six titles in the last seven seasons under Pep Guardiola, will be reviewed by an independent commission. The timeline for this hearing has recently been announced.
According to reports from The Times, the hearing is set to commence in mid-September and is expected to last around 10 weeks, potentially leading to a verdict in early 2025.
Subsequent reports also indicated that the hearing will kick off on September 16 and may stretch over a duration of at least two months.
Following a four-year investigation into City’s financial activities over nine years, the Premier League announced its claims against the club on February 6, 2023. Manchester City expressed their “surprise” regarding these allegations and welcomed an independent commission that would “impartially review the extensive irrefutable evidence” supporting the club’s stance.
The case regained attention in November 2023 when Everton faced a 10-point deduction for their own violations of the Premier League’s financial laws. Everton expressed their “shock and disappointment” over the ruling and announced plans to appeal, while also stating they would “closely observe decisions made in other Premier League cases concerning Profit and Sustainability Rules”.
Below, we provide a summary of the situation surrounding Manchester City and the possible repercussions.
Charges Against Manchester City
On February 6, the Premier League alleged that Manchester City failed to provide “accurate financial information that presents a true and fair view of the club’s financial status”.
This encompasses the club’s income, sponsorship earnings, and operating expenses for the period between 2009 and 2018, during which time City secured three Premier League titles.
The alleged violations also include issues related to full disclosure of the salary details for manager Roberto Mancini from the 2009/10 to 2012/13 seasons, as well as player salaries from 2010/11 to 2015/16.
Moreover, the Premier League accused the club of failing to fully cooperate during the investigation that began in December 2018.
Below is the comprehensive list of charges brought by the Premier League:
1. From the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons, the Premier League rules stipulated that a member club must provide accurate financial data to the league. This information includes revenue, sponsorship earnings, related parties, and operating costs:
(a) Season 2009/10, Premier League Rules B.13, C.71, C.72, C.75 (amended to C.79 on September 10, 2009) and C.80;
(b) Season 2010/11, Premier League Rules B.13, C.78, C.79, C.86 and C.87;
(c) Season 2011/12, Premier League Rules B.13, E.3, 4, E.11 and E.12;
(d) Season 2012/13, Premier League Rules 16, E.3, E.4, E.11 and E.12;
(e) Season 2013/14, Premier League Rules 15, E.3, E.4, E.11, E.12 and E.49;
(f) Season 2014/15, Premier League Rules 16, E.3, E.4, E.11, E.12 and E.50;
(g) Season 2015/16, Premier League Rules 16, E.3, E.4, E.11, E.12 and E.50;
(h) Season 2016/17, Premier League Rules 16, E.3, E.4, E.11, E.12 and E.51;
(i) Season 2017/18, Premier League Rules B.16, 3, E.4, E.11, E.12 and E.51.2. Regarding:
(a) From 2009/10 to 2012/13 seasons, Premier League Rules mandated member clubs to include comprehensive details about manager remuneration in contracts, specifically:
(1) For 2009/10 to 2011/12, Premier League Rules Q.7 and Q.8;
(2) For 2012/13, Premier League Rules P.7 and P.8;
(b) From 2010/11 to 2015/16 seasons, member clubs were required to disclose full player salary details in contracts, particularly:
(1) For 2010/11 and 2011/12, Premier League Rules K.12 and K.20;
(2) For 2012/13, Premier League Rules T.12 and T.20;
(3) For 2013/14 and 2014/15, Premier League Rules T.12 and T.19;
(4) For 2015/16, Premier League Rules T.13 and T.20.3. From 2013/14 to 2017/18 seasons, Premier League Rules required compliance with UEFA regulations, including Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations:
(a) For 2013/14, Premier League Rule B.14.6;
(b) From 2014/15 to 2017/18, Premier League Rule B.15.6.4. Concerning the Profitability and Sustainability rules from 2015/16 to 2017/18:
(a) For 2015/16, Premier League Rules E.52 to E.60;
(b) For 2016/17 and 2017/18, Premier League Rules E.53 to E.60.5. From December 2018 onward, Premier League Regulations required clubs to fully cooperate with investigations by the league, including providing documents and information in good faith, specifically:
(a) For 2018/19, Premier League Rules B.16, B.19, W.1, W.2, W.12, and W.13;
(b) For 2019/20, Premier League Rules B.16, B.19, W.1, W.2, W.12, and W.13;
(c) For 2020/21, Premier League Rules B.16, B.19, W.1, W.2, W.12, and W.13;
(d) For 2021/22, Premier League Rules B.15, B.18, W.1, W.2, W.15, and W.16;
(e) For 2022/23, Premier League Rules B.15, B.18, W.1, W.2, W.15, and W.16.
Independent commissions operate separately from the Premier League and its member clubs. The committee members will be appointed by the independent Chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel according to specific Premier League regulations.
#OnThisDay: @robymancio was appointed #ManCity manager [2009]
191 Games
113 Wins
361 Goals For
FA Cup [x1]
Charity Shield [x1]
Premier League [x1]
#PL Manager of the Month [x2] pic.twitter.com/PGgszmcK9F— City Xtra (@City_Xtra)
Club’s Response to Allegations
On February 6, Manchester City FC issued a statement expressing surprise at the allegations regarding breaches of Premier League Rules. The club highlighted its cooperation with the EPL, providing extensive documentation related to the case.
They also welcomed the involvement of an independent Commission to evaluate the substantial evidence supporting their stance.
The club expressed optimism about resolving the issue decisively.
According to a report from May 18 by The Times, Manchester City initiated a legal battle against these charges, questioning the investigation’s legality and the impartiality of the overseeing barrister, who is reportedly an Arsenal supporter. Further details indicated that the investigation’s results might be shared publicly by late August.
In May 2022, manager Pep Guardiola stated that he would depart if he discovered his superiors were not truthful regarding significant infractions, emphasizing his trust in the club.
Potential Consequences for Manchester City
It’s unclear at this stage whether Manchester City will face consequences if found guilty of the alleged violations from the Premier League.
The lengthy four-year investigation suggests the club will have ample time to address the allegations. The recent legal challenge could extend this timeline, yet the fact that the commission may begin hearings as soon as September indicates an intent to resolve the case before the conclusion of the 2024/25 Premier League season, potentially imposing any penalties before the season ends.
As reported by Martin Ziegler from The Times, various sanctions could be imposed, such as point deductions. Other possible repercussions include financial penalties, transfer bans, or even expulsion from the Premier League.
“There’s no doubting the severity! Nothing like this has ever happened!”
“Even if half of these 100+ charges are proved, the other clubs will expect that Man City will be relegated.” @MartynZiegler reacts to #MCFC’s PL financial rule breach charges. pic.twitter.com/v12QyFoBIZ
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) February 6, 2023
For reference, Everton faced a 10-point deduction for violating the league’s profitability rules; they intend to appeal this decision. However, the violations attributed to Everton are distinct from Manchester City’s case since they are based on the club’s published financial reports.
Reports from the Daily Mail indicated that a trial start date was agreed upon between Manchester City and the Premier League, projected for Autumn 2024. This aligns with additional information confirming commission hearings commencing in September, anticipating a verdict by early 2025. The hearings are set to begin on September 16.
In January 2024, Premier League CEO Richard Masters announced that a date for Manchester City’s hearings had been finalized, though specifics were not disclosed.
Previous Financial Fair Play Violations
In 2014, Manchester City accepted a fine of £49 million and imposed restrictions on their Champions League squad and incoming transfers after being found guilty of breaching UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
The club expressed a desire to fight the ruling through all available channels but ultimately sought resolution for the benefit of its fans and operations.
In February 2020, UEFA accused Manchester City of severe FFP violations from 2012 to 2016, based on leaked information from Der Spiegel. The club refuted the claims, and a subsequent two-year ban from European play was lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in July 2020, also reducing the original fine from £25 million to £9 million.
CAS determined that most infractions were either unfounded or past the time limit for prosecution. City regarded the decision as validation of its position and evidence presented. It’s important to note that Premier League regulations do not limit the time frame for pursuing alleged offences, unlike UEFA rules.
