What Erling Haaland’s nine-year Man City contract shows about relegation after the 115 charges verdict
A surprising detail about Manchester City striker Erling Haaland’s huge contract has come out after the club was found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges for breaking Premier League financial rules.
On Friday, September 25, The Athletic reported that City was found guilty of nearly all the charges against them. The punishments haven’t been decided yet, and City plans to appeal. Possible penalties could include a big fine, losing points, losing titles, or even being relegated to a lower league.
If City were relegated, most players would probably be sold or want to leave. But according to Spanish news outlet SPORT, Haaland’s contract doesn’t have a release clause if that happens.
The Norwegian star signed an amazing 9.5-year contract until 2034 in January 2025, worth around £260 million, which breaks down to about £500,000 a week in basic salary.
The charges cover the period from 2009 to 2018 when City won three Premier League titles. These claims first came up in 2023 after a four-year investigation started when German newspaper Der Spiegel leaked financial documents in 2018.
Some other Premier League clubs are reportedly thinking about legal action to get compensation.
After the verdict came out, City said:
“The Premier League process is still ongoing with some parts left to finish, and it’s all confidential. Our position hasn’t changed since our February 2023 statement. We have respected the process for eight years, trusting that the Premier League Board would be fair and impartial.”
Since the charges were made in 2023, City has strongly denied any wrongdoing and said they have solid proof supporting their defense.
Here’s a summary of the charges against City by the Premier League:
– Not providing true and accurate financial info from 2009/10 to 2017/18 – 54 breaches
– Not cooperating fully with the Premier League’s investigation from Dec 2018 to Feb 2023 – 35 breaches
– Not giving full details on manager and player pay between 2009 and 2016 – 14 breaches
– Breaking Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules from 2015/16 to 2017/18 – 7 breaches
– Not following UEFA rules, including Financial Fair Play, from 2013/14 to 2017/18 – 5 breaches