Man City guilty of all serious financial breach charges: Premier League

What the report says

Manchester City have been found guilty of all serious charges in the Premier League’s long-running financial rules case, according to a statement from the league reported by Al Jazeera on 29 September 2026. The case covered seasons from 2009/10 through 2017/18 and followed a four-year investigation. City had been charged in February 2023 over alleged breaches spanning nine seasons.

The Premier League said an independent commission concluded the club used “sham” commercial contracts and other arrangements to present its finances in a way that did not reflect the underlying deals. The league said those methods were used to inflate revenues and cut costs by more than 900 million pounds over the relevant period, so the club appeared to meet financial rules. Richard Masters, the Premier League chief executive, said the decision showed the club had systematically broken the rules for nearly a decade.

The ruling does not yet settle the full case because the commission still has to determine what sanction, if any, should follow. Manchester City denied wrongdoing and said it was “disappointed and surprised” by the verdict. The club said it believed the commission’s opinion contained errors of law, principle and fact, and announced it would appeal.

The outcome is significant because it could lead to major sporting or financial penalties and is one of the most closely watched governance disputes in English football.