Manchester City have said they will appeal after an independent Premier League commission found them guilty of all charges of financial rule breaches, with the club insisting it is innocent and holds “irrefutable evidence” in its favour.
The Premier League published the commission’s core decision on Tuesday. It concluded that City broke the league’s financial rules over a period of nearly a decade.
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Chief executive Richard Masters said the findings showed the club “systematically broke Premier League rules” and that the decision “establishes the facts of what happened.”
The league said City used “disguised funding schemes” to mislead it. ITV News reported that the commission found “sham” sponsorship deals were used to cut costs by more than £900m.
City responded within hours. In a statement, the club said it was “both disappointed and surprised” by the opinion. It said it was innocent of the accusations and that a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” supported its positions.
“The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums,” the statement said.
City argued that the matter is not settled. The Premier League process “remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted,” it said. The club will now pursue the appeal routes open to it, arguing that the opinion “contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.”
City also questioned the league’s conduct. The club said it had “diligently respected due process for eight years” on the assumption that the Premier League Board and Executive would act as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator “free from partisan influence.” That was a pointed criticism of the body that brought the case.
The club added that it is restricted in what more it can say until all proceedings are complete.
The case dates back to December 2018, when the Premier League began investigating City. A formal complaint followed in February 2023. City have denied wrongdoing throughout.
The Premier League confirmed that City have until Friday, October 2, to file an appeal. Appeals go before a three-member Appeal Board, which must include at least one person who has held judicial office. The board can allow the appeal, dismiss it or take other steps.
The commission’s decision was published because it was ruled a “final award” under league rules. Proceedings under those rules are otherwise confidential and held in private. Sanctions have not yet been announced.
The league said the commission has wide discretion over penalties, which can include fines, points deductions and other sporting sanctions. ESPN reported that the ultimate sanction of expulsion is technically available to the league.
Analysts expect City to use every avenue open to them. Even if an appeal fails, the club’s statement suggests the dispute could continue into wider legal channels.
For now, the champions face months of uncertainty as the case moves to appeal and, eventually, sanctions. The Premier League said its Board intends for the whole process, including appeals, to finish “as soon as possible.”
