Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of the 115 Premier League charges against them, The Athletic reported on Friday (25 September), but no punishment has been set and nothing changes for the club yet.
The Premier League has not published the ruling and declined to comment. City neither confirmed nor denied the report. A club spokesperson said: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.”
What happens next
The independent commission reportedly ruled against City on all but one charge. It is not known which charge the club was cleared on. No sanction has been decided, so City’s points and league position stand for now.
City are expected to appeal. Under Premier League rules, an appeal must be lodged within 14 days and is heard by a new three-person appeal board, whose decision is final. There is no route to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which overturned a two-year UEFA ban on City from European competition in 2020.
The sanctions open to the commission run from fines and points deductions to stripping titles or expelling the club from the league.
Chairman’s letter to fans
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak wrote to supporters in an open letter on Saturday (26 September). “The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began,” he wrote.
He said legal confidentiality stopped him from saying more, and that the letter itself had gone through several legal checks. He pointed fans to the trip to Anfield after the international break and a Champions League home game against Paris St Germain.
What the 115 charges cover
The Premier League charged City in February 2023 after a four-year investigation. The alleged breaches run from 2009 to 2018, with the non-cooperation charges dating from December 2018. They break down as:
- 54 for failing to provide accurate financial information
- 14 for failing to give accurate details of player and manager payments
- 5 for breaching UEFA rules, including Financial Fair Play
- 7 for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules
- 35 for failing to cooperate with the league’s investigation
City have always denied wrongdoing. The hearing opened on 16 September 2024 at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London and closed in December 2024. The club won three Premier League titles in the period covered, in 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2017-18.
