After a four-year inquiry, the Premier League has penalized Manchester City with more than 100 financial rule violations.
Between 2009 and 2018, it has reported the club to a separate body for alleged rule violations.
Additionally, it charged City with failing to cooperate ever since the investigation’s opening in December 2018.
City stated that they were “surprised” by the allegations and that they are backed by “a body of indisputable evidence.”
From a fine and point penalty to expulsion from the Premier League, the commission has the power to punish.
Manchester City said in a statement that it was astonished by the publication of these alleged Premier League Rules violations, especially in light of the significant engagement and a wealth of detailed materials that the league had access to.
“The club welcomes an independent commission’s study of this issue in order to objectively take into account the substantial body of unchallengeable evidence that exists in support of its stance.
“As a result, we anticipate this issue being resolved definitively.”
After being acquired by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, City won the Premier League for the sixth time last season.
What are the allegations against City?
The Premier League claimed in a statement that City had broken the rules by failing to present “correct financial information that gives a truthful and fair perspective of the club’s financial status.”
This data was about the club’s revenue, which included included sponsorship revenue and running expenses.
Additional alleged violations concern regulations requiring full disclosure of manager compensation from Roberto Mancini’s tenure as manager from 2009–10 to 2012–13 and player compensation from 2010–11 to 2015–16.
The Premier League claimed that from 2013–14 to 2017–18, City violated both Premier League rules on sustainability and profitability as well as Uefa laws, particularly Financial Fair Play (FFP).
Uefa, the organization that governs European football, determined in 2020 that City had violated FFP rules “seriously” between 2012 and 2016.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) reversed a two-year ban from European competitions later that year.
After German tabloid Der Spiegel released stolen documents in November 2018 indicating the club had overstated the worth of a sponsorship arrangement, Uefa launched its inquiry into City.
The commission’s hearings, which are secret and confidential, will be presided by by Murray Rosen KC.
City claimed that the claims were “completely false” and that the allegations in Der Spiegel were the result of “illegal hacking and out-of-context release of City emails” when the Premier League probe first started.
Analysis: “It will be pricey and take a while.”
the Simon Stone of BBC Sport
The Premier League statement wasn’t announced in advance to City. At the same time the statement was out, they received a call.
They also draw attention to the statement’s timing, which coincides with the impending release of a white paper on football governance. It is believed that the Premier League will utilize the fact that this lawsuit has been brought as proof that it can handle governance concerns on its own.
The charges that were time-barred in their Uefa case are included in City’s position, which they are confident in. It is believed that the club already gave the Premier League the necessary evidence regarding those accusations some time ago.
Expect a delay in the settlement of this case given that it has taken the Premier League four years to reach this point.
Manchester City has consistently denied financial misconduct. When information from Football Leaks was supplied to Der Spiegel, they frequently claimed that it was incomplete.
When Uefa opened its case, City claimed that they had little faith in that probe. When it found in their favor, they went right to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where they were exonerated of what they believed to be the major accusations, even though several had expired.
They will have the best attorneys on their side, going over every aspect of the Premier League’s argument line by line.
All five years’ worth of charges that City hasn’t helped with their investigation are included in the charge sheet.
It will take a long time and cost a lot of money.
Pep Guardiola, the city manager, has consistently said that his bosses have informed him that they have done nothing illegal. Others fiercely argue the opposite way, with La Liga president Javier Tebas being one of the loudest voices.
Even though there will be more sniping, City will be in the clear legally if they win.
They risk receiving a variety of penalties if they lose. In that sense, the Premier League’s reach is entirely unbounded, and we are in uncharted waters.
A very long end game is currently starting. The character of the city, as well as the reputation of its owners, is at stake. Whenever it occurs, the result will be amazing.
A timeline of Man City’s achievements since takeover
Abu Dhabi United Group agrees to acquire the club in September 2008. Robinho, a Brazilian forward, comes from Real Madrid on the same day for a then-club-record £32.5 million.
Dec. 2009 saw Mark Hughes’ dismissal and the appointment of Roberto Mancini as manager.
City defeated Stoke to win the FA Cup in May 2011, their first major championship since 1976.
May 2012: Sergio Aguero’s spectacular injury-time goal gave Man City the Premier League championship, their first since 1968, on the last day of the 2011–12 campaign.
Mancini was fired as manager in May 2013, and Manuel Pellegrini took over. Pellegrini guided City to the 2013–14 Premier League title.
Pep Guardiola takes Pellegrini’s place as manager in July 2016.
City won the Premier League in May 2018 with a record number of points, victories, and goals.
City becomes the first English team to take home all four domestic titles in May 2019.
May 2021: City defeats Chelsea in their first Champions League final.
May 2022 marks City’s sixth Premier League championship and 17th trophy since taking control in 2008.
City’s development
Club records £613 million in revenue and £42 million in profit for the 2021–22 season.
surpassed Real Madrid to take first place in the Deloitte money league, a ranking of the richest teams in the world by revenue, in January 2023.
won three Community Shields, two FA Cups, six EFL Cups, and six Premier League championships. Premier League
reportedly spent 2.38 billion euros (£2.1 billion) on new players since the takeover.
broke the British transfer record twice, spending £100 million on Jack Grealish in 2021 and £32.5 million on Robinho in 2008.