Manchester City has been found guilty of 114 of 115 financial-rule charges brought by the Premier League, according to reports. The financial allegations mainly cover the seasons from 2009-10 through 2017-18 and include financial reporting, payments to players and managers, UEFA regulations, and the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules. Another 35 charges relate to the club’s alleged failure to cooperate with the Premier League investigation from December 2018 through February 2023. An independent commission delivered the reported verdict after a hearing that ran from September to December 2024.
The club has denied all allegations and is expected to appeal the decision. The commission has not yet decided what penalties will be imposed, according to reports. Possible punishments include a points deduction, a fine or removal from the Premier League.
The most severe potential consequence is expulsion from the Premier League. Reports have also raised the possibility of City being stripped of titles won during the period covered by the financial allegations, although no sanction has yet been announced. Manchester City won three Premier League titles during that period. The investigation began after leaked documents were published by German magazine Der Spiegel in November 2018.
UEFA had previously taken action against the club, banning it from European competitions for two seasons in 2020. The Court of Arbitration for Sport later overturned the European ban and reduced City’s fine from €30 million to €10 million. CAS said there was insufficient conclusive evidence to uphold some of UEFA’s findings and that other alleged breaches were time-barred. However, CAS found that City had failed to cooperate with UEFA authorities.
The Premier League case is separate from the UEFA matter and was referred to an independent commission in early 2023.
Manchester City has continued to win titles and compete during the ongoing process. The case also stems from a larger leak of documents by Rui Pinto’s Football Leaks platform, The Guardian reported. Pinto, a self-taught computer enthusiast, is the central figure behind Football Leaks.
He provided documents that led to investigations into several football clubs and organizations beyond Manchester City. Pinto was arrested in 2019 and spent time in pre-trial detention before being released and becoming a protected witness. He was acquitted in April 2026 of all 241 charges in a second Portuguese trial involving allegations that he illegally accessed email accounts.
Manchester City’s case has drawn attention to the broader issue of financial transparency in football. Manchester City is controlled by City Football Group, which is majority owned by Abu Dhabi interests linked to Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Premier League has declined to comment on the reported verdict. Manchester City responded by saying the Premier League process remains ongoing, that significant elements still have to be completed and that proceedings remain subject to confidentiality. The club said its position remains consistent with its 2023 statement denying wrongdoing.
The commission’s full decision has not yet been published. Under Premier League rules, the commission’s final award is expected to be made public after the process is completed.
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