The Premier League has charged reigning champions Manchester City with more than 100 alleged breaches of the league’s finance rules and has referred the club to an independent commission.
In a statement released on Monday, the Premier League alleged that City broke financial regulation rules over a nine season period from 2009 to 2018. The allegations come after a lengthy four-year investigation.
What is the Premier League alleging Manchester City did wrong?
Manchester City has been charged with more than 100 breaches of financial regulations over a nine season period. These allegations include:
- Failing to provide “accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position” — including information regarding sponsorship revenue.
- Failing to provide “full details of manager remuneration in its relevant contracts with its manager.”
- Failing to provide full details of player renumeration.
- Breaching UEFA financial fair play rules.
- Breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.
- Failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.
Key Manchester City owner Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
What is the timeframe of the allegations against Manchester City?
The allegations relate to a period spanning 2009 to 2018, a timeframe in which Manchester City won three Premier League titles (2012, 2014 and 2018). For context: Manchester City was purchased by United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and member of the Abu Dhabi royal family Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2008.
Allegations relating to management renumeration specifically cover the period in which Roberto Mancini was in charge, and do not cover Pep Guardiola’s time with the club.
Player renumeration allegations span across the 2010/11 seasons to the 2015/16 seasons inclusive.
Manchester City also stands accused of breaching UEFA financial fairplay rules between 2013/14 and 2017/18, and Premier League financial rules between 2015/16 and 2017/18.
The club is not alleged to have engaged in any wrongdoing (apart from allegedly failing to cooperate in the investigation) since the end of the 2018/19 season.
What has Manchester City said?
Manchester City were reportedly not given advance warning of the Premier League’s statement being released, but have since issued a statement of their own in response.
“Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with,” City said in a statement.
“The Club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
“As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”
Does this mean Pep Guardiola will leave?
When it was first revealed that the club was under investigation for possible breaches of Financial Fair Play rules back in 2019, manager Pep Guardiola slammed critics and has been a staunch defender of the club.
Guardiola has always maintained full faith in the club and its people, and even went so far as to say that he would resign from his position if he found out the club had lied to him.
“Why did I defend the club and the people? It’s because I work with them,” he said back in May 2022.
“When they are accused of something I ask them: ‘Tell me about that.’ They explain and I believe them. I said to them: ‘If you lie to me, the day after I am not here. I will be out and I will not be your friend any more. I put my faith in you because I believe you 100% from day one and I defend the club because of that.”
While the investigation is ongoing and it is unlikely we will hear the outcome for some time, Guardiola’s tenure at the club could come to an end sooner if he believes he has been lied to.
However, it must be stressed that Manchester City has not been found guilty of any wrongdoing at this point in time.
What sanctions could the club be hit with?
If the allegations put forward by the Premier League are proven true, Manchester City could be in some real trouble.
According to Premier League rules, penalties could include a suspension, a fine that is “unlimited in amount”, points deductions, or even a ban from the Premier League itself.
Unlike the club’s 2020 ban from the Champions League for financial-related offences, Manchester City will be unable to appeal any punishments handed down by the Premier League in the Court of Arbitration for Sport — which ultimately overturned the 2020 ban.
In the case of the 2020 ban, City’s argument for overturning centred on a statute of limitations in UEFA’s policy that allowed the club to escape the harshest penalties imposed, but the Premier League does not have any timeframe restrictions on disciplinary regulations.
If the allegations against City prove to be true, the investigation could impact a decade worth of top-tier football for both Manchester City and its rivals to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.
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