Man City makes clear choice on 114 charges appeal with new statement released
Manchester City have just announced that they have officially appealed against the Premier League’s decision that said the club broke financial rules. Earlier this week, the Premier League revealed that City was found guilty of serious breaches following an independent commission’s review.
The commission said that between 2009-10 and 2017-18, the club set up fake contracts with business partners in a “disguised funding scheme” to make their income look £830 million higher than it really was.
The Premier League also confirmed that Manchester City can appeal the decision, and they have until Friday, October 2 to do so. As expected, City is contesting the ruling, which has shocked the football world. Their legal team believes many key sponsorship deals were actually funded by the Abu Dhabi government, not the club’s owners.
Manchester City Football Club said: “At 7pm on Thursday, October 1, 2026, the club officially filed its appeal against the Premier League Commission’s findings. The club strongly believes there are serious mistakes in the ruling, both in law and facts, and that it is unfair. City denies the accusations and says they have strong evidence to prove their case. We will respect the process and can’t say more until everything is finished.”
Between 2009 and 2018, City was becoming one of Europe’s top teams, spending around €1.44bn on players and winning the Premier League in 2012, 2014, and 2018.
Since these charges came up in 2023, City has denied any wrongdoing and says they have clear proof to defend themselves.
Possible punishments could include fines, points deducted, or in the worst case, dropping out of the Premier League.
Here’s a quick look at the penalties the commission can give to a club.