Manchester City has been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against it for alleged breaches of English football’s financial rules, according to a report published by The Athletic on Friday.
The report said no punishment has yet been determined and that Manchester City intends to appeal the decision.
The outcome of the independent hearing, which began more than two years ago, could have major implications for English football.
The legacy of Manchester City’s trophy-laden era is now at stake amid allegations that its success was built on financial breaches.
The Premier League brought the charges against City in 2023 following an investigation into alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018.
The club, which has consistently denied the allegations, was accused of failing to provide accurate financial information and correct details regarding payments made to players and coaches, as well as breaching financial sustainability rules.
Since the Abu Dhabi United Group, owned by Sheikh Mansour, took over the club in 2008, Manchester City has become a dominant force in English football.
Over the past 15 years, the club has won eight Premier League titles, four FA Cups and seven League Cups, as well as one Champions League title.
The allegations date back to leaked documents published by German magazine Der Spiegel in 2018.
Emails believed to have been exchanged between senior City officials appeared to show that the club inflated sponsorship revenue from Etihad Airways and Etisalat, both owned by the Abu Dhabi state, by presenting direct investments from Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group as commercial revenue.
Other documents also contained allegations of undisclosed payments to Roberto Mancini, the club’s Italian coach at the time, through consultancy fees paid to him via a club in Abu Dhabi.
If the reported findings are upheld, City could face severe sanctions, potentially including a substantial points deduction and even expulsion from the Premier League.
Everton and Nottingham Forest were both handed points deductions during the 2023-2024 season for individual breaches of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules.
A severe punishment could also raise questions over the future of a number of City’s star players, including prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland.
Other clubs could also seek to have City stripped of titles it won and demand compensation if it is established that the club gained an unfair advantage through unlawful means.
