Manchester City Announces Appeal After Being Found Guilty of Financial Rule Violations
September 29, Kathmandu – Following a ruling by the Premier League’s independent commission that found Manchester City guilty of breaching financial regulations, the club has expressed dissatisfaction and announced its intention to appeal the decision. City stated that it is “disappointed and surprised” by the Premier League commission’s verdict. The club maintains its innocence regarding the allegations and claims to have sufficient evidence to support its case. In an official statement, Manchester City highlighted significant legal, principled, and factual errors in the decision, deeming the ruling unsafe.
The club affirmed it will pursue all available regulatory and legal avenues to defend its position. It emphasized that the Premier League’s process remains incomplete with critical matters unresolved, which is why the club intends to proceed with the available appeal procedure. Additionally, Manchester City asserted it has respected due legal process for over eight years and expects independent, fair, and impartial regulation from the Premier League’s board and executive bodies. Until all future procedures are concluded, the club stated it will remain limited in providing further commentary on the matter.
Previously, the Premier League’s independent commission found Manchester City guilty on all counts of financial regulation violations spanning nine seasons. According to the commission’s findings published by the Premier League, City allegedly engaged in artificial inflation of club revenues and reduction of expenses through various “fake” commercial agreements from the 2009–10 to the 2017–18 seasons. The commission reported that the club provided inaccurate financial information to auditors and football regulators and significantly breached spending limits imposed by the Premier League and UEFA. The Premier League has granted Manchester City the right to appeal the commission’s verdict, with a deadline set for October 2. The investigation was launched in December 2018, and the commission’s 42-day hearing concluded in December 2023.