Manchester City face lengthy wait for outcome of Premier League financial case

Manchester City could face a fine, points deduction or relegation after being found guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules, but any punishment is unlikely to be decided soon.

An independent panel found City guilty on all but one of the charges, according to a football source who confirmed media reports. The source told Reuters the process was expected to “drag on”.

City have always denied wrongdoing since the charges were announced in February 2023. Chair Khaldoon Al Mubarak said the club remained confident of proving its case.

“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 in an open letter to supporters on Saturday.

City are expected to appeal. Any challenge would be heard by a three-person board, rather than the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which previously overturned the club’s two-year Champions League ban imposed by Uefa for overstating sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016.

The charges cover nine seasons from 2009 to 2018, following a four-year investigation. The current Premier League season could therefore finish before a final verdict or punishments are announced. Even if sanctions are confirmed, an appeal could delay their implementation until the campaign is under way or completed.

City lead the table after five consecutive wins, but a substantial points deduction could turn them from title contenders into relegation candidates. A penalty could theoretically be large enough to make avoiding relegation practically impossible.

A retroactive alteration to the Premier League’s championship record is another possible consequence. Juventus were stripped of two Serie A titles and relegated to Serie B after the “Calciopoli” corruption scandal. The 2004-05 title remains without a champion, while Inter Milan were awarded the 2005-06 championship.

Other clubs could also pursue legal claims for lost prize money and missed financial opportunities if City are found to have gained a sporting advantage.

City chief executive Ferran Soriano said the club would do everything to clear its name while addressing the European Football Clubs board on Monday. He reportedly said the procedure could take years to conclude, while declining to comment publicly on the guilty verdict.

The case will form part of discussions at the European Football Clubs General Assembly in Copenhagen, attended by about 500 of its 850 members. EFC chair Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin are due to speak. Fifa president Gianni Infantino was invited but is unlikely to attend, with Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom expected to represent FIFA.

Infantino has proposed an independent review of FIFA’s governance after the collapse of a plan for private investment in its commercial rights business.

Former City manager Roberto Mancini also dismissed claims about an alleged “double contract” during his four-year spell at the club. He said: “Manchester City isn’t guilty, and the dual contract issue absolutely doesn’t concern me. It’s their problem, if anything.”

Mancini is now Italy manager.