Man City found guilty of majority of financial breaches after lengthy hearing
September 27, 2026 16:30
An independent panel has reached a verdict finding Manchester City guilty of the majority of 115 financial-rule charges, according to reporting by The Athletic. BBC Sport was later told the verdict had been sent to club executives; recipients had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to open the file.
The saga has been long-running: the hearing began two years and 10 days ago, and the club was charged 1,329 days before the reported verdict. Manchester City did not directly address whether they had been found guilty in a statement, saying the "process remains ongoing" and an appeal is expected. The club has consistently denied wrongdoing.
KEY CONTEXT
- The allegations include seven separate breaches of Premier League profit-and-sustainability rules and five related to UEFA competitions, plus claims involving inflated sponsorship revenue, payments to players and managers, and a failure to comply with investigations.
- Previous Premier League cases resulted in points penalties: Everton were docked six points (reduced from 10 on appeal) and had separate two-point sanctions in other cases; Nottingham Forest were deducted four points. Chelsea earlier this year admitted wrongdoing and reached a sanctioning agreement after self-reporting, a different route to resolution.
POSSIBLE SANCTIONS AND TIMELINES
BBC Sport has been told a sanction hearing convened by the independent panel could still be months away, and any published result might wait until an appeal is complete. At that hearing the panel can consider fines, points deductions or demotion. Because the club has denied the charges and an appeal is expected, the final punishment and its timing remain uncertain.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
The charges are described as serious, and the reporting says some form of points deduction now appears inevitable, subject to appeal. The timing and application of any sanction will be crucial for the Premier League and for Manchester City: City travel to Liverpool on 11 October when the league resumes after the international break and could be six points clear at the top — a standing that may later be affected by any penalty.
OTHER IMPLICATIONS
The reporting also notes the prospect of clubs seeking compensation from City, though no formal litigation is described in the available material.