Full story City guilty over Premier League charges after £900m of ‘sham’ contracts

An independent commission has found Manchester City Football Club guilty of numerous and serious breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations, spanning a nine-season period from 2009 to 2018. The verdict, delivered in September 2026, concludes a lengthy investigation into 115 charges brought against the club. The alleged violations primarily concern "sham contracts" totaling over £900 million, which were reportedly used to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its operating costs, thereby misrepresenting its financial position to comply with league and UEFA rules.

The commission determined that these "sham" dealings involved disguised funding schemes, where the club's owners, Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), allegedly covered significant portions of sponsorship fees that were falsely attributed to commercial partners. Additionally, the club was found to have engaged in similar arrangements for player image rights and to record lower expenses than incurred, ultimately filing misstated accounts and concealing the true state of its finances from regulators. Manchester City was also found guilty on the majority of charges related to its failure to cooperate with the Premier League's investigation.

Manchester City has vehemently denied all accusations, stating its innocence and asserting the existence of "irrefutable evidence" to support its position. The club has announced its intention to appeal the commission's decision by the October 2nd deadline. This landmark case is considered the most significant in Premier League history, with potential sanctions ranging from substantial fines and points deductions to, in the most severe scenario, expulsion from the league, which will be determined in a separate hearing.