Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them for breaching Premier League financial rules, in what is now the biggest regulatory verdict in the competition’s history. The Athletic’s David Ornstein first reported the outcome on Thursday, more than three-and-a-half years after the charges were formally filed and nearly eight years after the investigation began.
Man City 115 Charges Verdict: What the Independent Panel Ruled
The Premier League charged City in February 2023 with 115 alleged breaches spanning 2009 to 2018, covering inaccurate financial reporting, undisclosed player and manager payments, breaches of profitability and sustainability rules, and a failure to fully cooperate with the investigation. The independent commission’s hearing ran from September to December 2024, and the panel has now found the club guilty on all but one of those charges. City acknowledged the outcome to The Athletic in a statement that kept its position “consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023,” pointing to what it has long called a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” supporting its case. City are widely expected to appeal.
What Happens Next for City: Sanctions and the Appeals Process
Nothing changes on the pitch or in the record books yet. Sanctions have not been determined, and every option remains on the table, from a fine or points deduction to relegation or, in the most extreme scenario, expulsion. City confirmed to The Athletic that “significant elements” of the process are still to be completed and remain confidential, which means a further wait before any punishment is set, and likely months more once an appeal is filed. Full statements and updates are expected on the Premier League’s official site.
The Stakes for Maresca’s City in a Season That’s Off to a Perfect Start
The timing adds another layer. Pep Guardiola left City at the end of last season after a decade in charge, and Enzo Maresca, his former assistant, took over on a three-year deal this summer. Through five matches, Maresca’s City sit top of the Premier League table with a perfect record, an outcome that would carry an asterisk for many rivals if serious sanctions eventually follow. City have won six Premier League titles since their 2008 takeover by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour, success that has always been shadowed by this case. Rivals who’ve long argued City’s spending model distorted competition will treat Thursday’s verdict as vindication, while City’s camp is expected to frame it as one more round in a fight they’ve called politically motivated.
This is not the end of the story. An appeal is close to certain, and the sanctions decision, whenever it lands, will spark another wave of scrutiny. For now, English football has its biggest regulatory finding in a generation, and the fallout for City, and for the credibility of the Premier League’s rulebook, is only beginning.
BREAKING: Manchester City Found Guilty on 114 of 115 Premier League Financial Charges