Manchester City appeal Premier League ruling over alleged financial breaches

Manchester City have formally appealed against the independent commission’s finding that the club breached Premier League financial regulations, beginning its legal challenge to the decision.

The Premier League said the commission had found City guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of its financial rules over nine seasons. The club was also found guilty of the majority of allegations concerning its failure to co-operate with the investigation.

City had until the end of Friday to lodge an appeal, and confirmed that it had done so in a statement issued after the deadline was approaching.

“Manchester City confirms that at 7pm on Thursday 1 October 2026, it submitted its comprehensive appeal against the decision of the Premier League Commission in relation to the Premier League disciplinary proceedings,” the club said.

It added: “The club’s firm position is that the decision contains, on several grounds, clear material errors of law, principle and fact, and that it is unsound.”

The statement continued: “The club is innocent of the charges brought against it by the Premier League and there is a comprehensive body of compelling evidence that supports all of our positions in this case.

“We will continue to respect due process and are constrained from saying anything further until all proceedings have concluded.”

City’s decision to appeal is not unexpected. The club has consistently denied all of the alleged breaches since the charges were brought three years ago. The accusations relate to the period between 2009 and 2018.

According to the Premier League, the commission concluded that City had “inflated” revenue and reduced costs by more than £900m over nine seasons in order to appear compliant with the financial regulations.

The commission also found that the club had submitted “incorrect accounts and concealed the true state of its financial affairs”, according to the Premier League.

The appeal will determine whether the commission’s conclusions stand. If the appeal is rejected, City could face severe sanctions.

Possible penalties raised in connection with the case range from financial fines to a transfer ban and a points deduction. The club could also be stripped of titles won during the period covered by the alleged breaches.

The most serious potential punishment would be relegation through the English football divisions. The source article does not state that any sanction has been imposed, only that such penalties could be considered if City’s appeal fails.