Manchester City has been found guilty. The ruling follows a long Premier League case.
An independent commission found serious financial breaches. The findings cover nine seasons, from 2009-10 to 2017-18. City has denied wrongdoing.
The club has also said it will appeal. Its chief executive, Ferran Soriano, said the findings contained major errors.
£900m In Funding
The biggest finding concerns sponsorship deals. City was found to have used agreements that did not reflect the real arrangements. The deals helped raise reported income and lower reported costs.
The commission found that more than £900 million was affected during the period. About £830.69 million was linked to funding from ADUG.
The Premier League said the arrangements helped City appear compliant with spending rules. The club has disputed that account.
City has argued that the evidence presented by it was not properly considered. The appeal process will now become central to the case.
Payments Were Also Examined
Payments to former employees were also considered.
More than £15 million was found to have been paid through arrangements outside employment contracts. Former manager Roberto Mancini was among those linked to the findings. The commission also examined payments linked to a player.
The findings said some payments were not recorded in the player’s contract. The arrangement was found to have concealed part of the club’s financial liability.
Cooperation Was Questioned
City’s conduct during the investigation was also examined.
The commission upheld three of four alleged failures to cooperate. The Premier League said the club had breached its duties towards the investigation.
That finding adds another layer to the case.
The dispute has therefore extended beyond spending rules. It has also involved how the investigation was handled.
What Punishment Could Follow?
No final sanction has been announced. A separate process will determine the punishment. The Premier League has said it intends to move through that stage quickly.
Several sanctions could be considered. A points deduction is possible. A fine could also be imposed. Other sporting penalties could be examined under the league’s rules.
Relegation has also been discussed publicly. But it has not been announced as a punishment. The scale of any sanction remains unknown.
City Plans To Appeal
Manchester City is preparing to challenge the ruling. Soriano said the club remained confident in its case. He said lawyers would argue that the decision contained material errors.
The appeal could prolong the dispute. For now, the commission’s findings remain the latest formal development. No titles have been removed. No points have been deducted.
Manchester City’s next chapter will be shaped by the sanction process and the appeal that follows.
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