Manchester City was quick to react. On September 29th, the Premier League officially found the Manchester club guilty of 114 financial breaches.
A real bombshell, to which the Citizens responded this Friday at midday by confirming their intention to appeal, well before the sanctions were announced.
“Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7 pm on Thursday 1st October 2026 the Club lodged its comprehensive Appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter. The Club’s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors of law, principle, and fact and is unsafe. The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete,” the statement reads.
Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Man United Could Sue Manchester City
Manchester City’s relegation to the Championship for just one season would not be punishment enough in the eyes of several rivals.
According to The Guardian, executives from several Premier League clubs want a penalty that would keep the Citizens out of the top flight longer, following their conviction for more than 100 breaches of financial rules.
“A one-season relegation to the Championship would be insufficient,” a club source told the British outlet, calling for a sanction proportionate to the scale and duration of the offenses identified by the independent commission.
The clubs will, however, have no direct role in the final decision. Manchester City has appealed and continues to deny the Premier League’s accusations. The commission has a wide range of sanctions at its disposal, from points deductions to transfer bans, and even exclusion from the league.
Several top clubs are also closely monitoring the case: Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool have reserved their right to sue City if the verdict is unfavorable and have reportedly already begun discussing this possibility. According to the report, the appeal process should conclude by the end of January.
So, an appeals process is expected that will be long and, given so many possible irregularities, an imminent resolution is not expected, far from it, if we compare it to cases like Everton or Nottingham Forest in recent seasons.
Manchester City Responds Strongly to Premier League FFP Accusations