An independent commission report alleges Manchester City used sham contracts and inflated revenues to bypass Premier League and UEFA financial rules.
Key facts
- •The investigation covers the period between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
- •The commission report alleges revenue was inflated by approximately £900 million (€1.05 billion).
- •Manchester City has officially lodged a comprehensive appeal against the commission's findings.
- •The club was previously fined €60 million by UEFA in 2014 for losses during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
- •Everton previously received a 10-point penalty for a £19.5 million breach of financial regulations.
The English Premier League has charged Manchester City with more than 100 breaches of its financial regulations following an investigation into the club's activities between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. An independent commission report alleges the club used sham contracts and agreements to artificially inflate revenue by approximately £900 million. Manchester City denies the accusations, citing a comprehensive body of evidence in its defense, and has formally lodged an appeal against the findings.
By the numbers
Allegations of Financial Misconduct
The 750-page commission report details a series of methods allegedly used by the club to bypass financial spending limits. These include running secondary contracts off the books, signing inflated image rights deals, and making concerted efforts to frustrate the league's investigation. The report specifically highlights a 2012 initiative known as "Project Longbow," which the commission described as involving a third party that acted as a front to facilitate payments from the club's owners to acquire image rights at artificially inflated prices.
Ownership and Regulatory Context
Manchester City was purchased in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi United Group, an investment vehicle for the UAE royal family, with Sheikh Mansour fronting the takeover. The club's financial practices have faced scrutiny as they sought to comply with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules introduced in 2011 and the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules implemented in 2013. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters characterized the case as the most significant in the league's history, alleging the club systematically broke rules for nearly a decade.
Potential Sanctions and Legal Path
While no sanctions have been imposed yet, the scale of the alleged breaches has led to speculation regarding potential penalties, which could include point deductions, transfer bans, or the stripping of titles won during the period in question. The club has stated it will pursue all available appeal avenues, arguing that the commission's opinion contains material errors of law and fact. The legal process is expected to be lengthy, and the club continues to compete in the Premier League while the case remains ongoing.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Deutsche Welle Sports.
