Manchester City has reportedly been found guilty on 114 of 115 charges. No punishment has been set, and the club is expected to appeal. Premier League rules mean a final decision may not come until 2027.
Manchester City has reportedly been found guilty of 114 of the 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules. An independent commission cleared the club on one charge. The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported the verdict on 25 September, citing sources briefed on the case. Sanctions have not been set, nor the Premier League and Manchester City have made an official statement on confirming the reports.
The verdict was leaked before any official announcement. A Manchester City statement said the “Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality”. The Premier League declined to comment.
On 26 September, Manchester City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, issued a letter to fans of the club, which stated: “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.
“There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position,” continued Al Mubarak. “But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies.”
The Manchester City chairman referred back to the club’s statement from February 2023 when the Premier League announced the 115 charges against the club, with the club stating it had “irrefutable evidence” to defend itself.
The case now moves through four more stages. The commission must publish its written judgment, then decide sanctions. Manchester City can lodge an appeal, and an appeal board must rule on it.
Some stages carry fixed Premier League deadlines and others do not. The dates below are estimates based on those rules and on how long comparable cases have taken.
The written judgment
Due to strict confidentiality rules, the Premier League and Manchester City will be unable to comment on the reports of a guilty verdict until all formal legal proceedings have been concluded, which is why both parties have declined to give detailed responses to the reports.
The commission has not published its full written judgment. Alex Crook of talkSPORT said it runs to “five, six, 700 pages.” Manchester City is expected to try to delay its publication. Everton attempted the same during a recent case involving Burnley, in which it had to pay Burnley £35m for breaking Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR). Crook believes the club’s attempt would “almost certainly fail”.
Due to a growing belief that Manchester City will almost certainly appeal any guilty verdict once confirmed by the commission and Premier League, this would push back the release of the written judgment until the appeal process and sanction phase has been concluded.
This means the release of the 500-600-700-page document of the commission’s findings could be delayed until late 2026, to early 2027.
The appeal window
Both sides have 14 days to appeal once the decision is handed down. An appeal from Manchester City is treated across the coverage as a certainty. A November sanctions decision would put City’s appeal in late November or December.
The appeal process
An appeal board can uphold the appeal, dismiss it, or replace the commission’s order. Premier League rules say the process should finish within 12 weeks of the appeal being lodged. No rule binds the board to that timeframe.
The appeals board will be made up of delegates different from the three-person independent commission that ruled the club guilty on 114 charges.
Recent appeals by Nottingham Forest, Everton and Leicester City took six weeks to three months. Manchester City’s case is far larger, so the hearing could take longer.
The sanctions decision
Sanctions are decided at a separate hearing. The commission has wide discretion, because the Premier League set no fixed penalties for financial breaches. Available sanctions include a fine, a points deduction, a transfer and registration ban, the stripping of titles, and expulsion from the league.
The rules also let the commission make any “other order as it thinks fit.” A sanctions decision may be made public around November, possibly later.
The final ruling, and when it lands – including the UK High Court
Rule W.97 makes an appeal board’s decision final. The only route beyond it is arbitration, available mainly where a panel is found to have abused the legal process. The club cannot take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). CAS overturned Manchester City’s two-year Champions League ban in 2020.
If the appeals board rules in favour of the Premier League, Manchester City can turn to the UK’s High Courts.
Under the Arbitration Act 1996, the club can file a case to the UK High Court on either or all Sections 67, 68, and 69. The UK High Court does not act as an appeals court to retry the case.
Section 67: Manchester City can argue substantive jurisdiction – the independent commission or appeal board lacked legal jurisdiction or authority under Premier League rules to rule on specific charges.
Section 68: Manchester City can argue the independent commission’s case has “serious irregularity” or “substantial injustice” – a failure to remain impartial, the exceeding of powers, or failure to conduct proceedings within the agreed parameters.
Section 69: Manchester City can argue over legal interpretations – this is only under “extraordinary relief” as the Premier League is contracted out of Section 69 as its legal and disciplinary proceedings are classed as private commercial arbitration.
Ian Hargreaves of the disputes firm Quillon Law called the reported verdict “not the end of the story but the beginning of a new phase.”
The wider fallout
Rival and relegated clubs have spent the wait assessing what City’s rule-breaking may have cost them.
Similar to Burnley’s case against Everton that The Toffees’ PSR breach led to its relegation during the 2021/22 Premier League season, clubs affected by City’s rule breaches have considered financial compensation.
In November 2024, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur formally lodged legal notices with relevant lawyers on potential grounds for compensation.
There is a six-year statute of limitations under the UK Limitation Act 1980. This means the four Premier League clubs lodged these notices when they did to reserve the right to appeal for compensation as the charges against Manchester City were from 2009-2018, which the statute of limitations expiring notices were lodged after the final verdict was released.
Clubs affected could claim damages on missing out on trophies – which results in missing out higher competition prize money, qualification for European football – particularly the Champions League the prize money and broadcast revenue that comes with competing in the competition.
Manchester United finished behind Manchester City twice in second in the 2011/12 and 2017/18 Premier League seasons as City won the Premier League title. United also finished fifth, one place lower than City who finished in fourth place in the 2015/16 season, therefore missing out on qualification for the Champions League.
Liverpool finished second behind Manchester City in the 2013/14 season. Liverpool also finished as runner-up in the League Cup final in 2016, beaten by Manchester City.
Manchester City are currently first in the table after five straight wins at the start of the 2026/27 Premier League season. Where any points deduction would apply, this season or past ones, is undecided.
