manchester City Faces Premier League Charges
Manchester City has been charged by the Premier League for breaking its financial rules.
The news follows a four-year investigation by the Premier League, that claims the current league champions breached financial rules over a period of nine seasons.
The club is alleged to have not provided accurate financial information, ‘in particular with respect to its revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties and its operating costs’.
The Premier League also accused City of not co-operating since the investigation started in December 2018 and has now refereed the series of alleged breaches to an independent commission.
Further breaches relate to rules requiring full details of manager remuneration – from the 2009-10 to 2012-13 seasons, when Roberto Mancini was in charge – and player remuneration between 2010-11 and 2015-16.
This is not the first time Manchester City’s finances have been questioned since the club’s 2008 takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group. In 2020, the European football governing body UEFA ruled that City committed ‘serious breaches’ of FFP regulations between 2012 and 2016 but this was alter overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. That decision meant the club avoided a two-year ban from European competitions.
Under Premier rules, City will not be able to appeal this time around.
The Premier League statement, released on Monday morning, read ‘In accordance with Premier League rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today [February 6 2023] referred a number of alleged breaches of the Premier League rules by Manchester City Football Club to a commission under Premier League rule W.3.4.
‘Commissions are independent of the Premier League and member clubs. The members of the commission will be appointed by the independent chair of the Premier League judicial panel, in accordance with Premier League rules W.19, W.20 and W.26.
‘The proceedings before the commission will, in accordance with Premier League rule W.82, be confidential and heard in private. Under Premier League rule W.82.2, the commission’s final award will be published on the Premier League’s website.’
The form of punishment Manchester City could face is currently unclear. However, according to Premier League rules, a points deduction and expulsion from the league is within the range of possibilities.
Manchester City has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
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