Man City FFP breaches explained: What the club got wrong in 114 out of 115 charges
Manchester City have been found guilty of almost all 115 Premier League charges they faced over possible financial rule breaches. They still don’t know how severe the punishments will be and plan to appeal the decision.
The charges started in February 2023, but the case is ongoing with punishments and appeals still to be decided. Here’s the latest update.
An independent panel ruled that City broke 114 of the 115 Premier League financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18. The club was accused of giving incorrect financial details, hiding payments to players and coaches, and breaking UEFA’s financial fair play rules and the league’s own rules on finances, according to The Athletic.
Out of the 115 charges, 54 relate to not providing up-to-date financial info. Another 35 charges came from not cooperating with the Premier League’s investigation that started after allegations were made in 2018. There are also 14 charges for inaccurate reports on player and manager pay and 12 for breaking UEFA and league financial fairness rules.
The Athletic says the panel can choose from several punishments, which could include fines, points deductions, or even kicking City out of the Premier League. According to the Premier League handbook, these punishments could be combined.
Depending on what the panel decides, City could lose league titles, get points taken off, miss European competitions, or even face relegation. City won the Premier League in 2011-12, 2013-14, and 2017-18. Other punishments could also include suspending City from league matches, replaying games, or canceling player registrations.
City has confirmed they will appeal and say they welcome an independent review, standing by their claim that they have strong evidence supporting their side.
If points are taken off, the panel can apply that penalty immediately or later, and penalties could happen while City appeals. The exact punishments and timing are still unclear and will depend on the appeals process.
There’s no clear precedent for this situation, so it’s tough to predict what might happen if City is punished. Other clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool—who were runners-up in some of the years City won—are also watching closely.
City also won the EFL Cup three times during the period under review, beating Sunderland in 2014, Liverpool in 2016, and Arsenal in 2018.
While many clubs have been told about the verdict, the full details haven’t been released yet. The one charge that was dismissed also hasn’t been shared.
Stay tuned for more updates as the story develops.