Manchester City will fight the Premier League for months if found guilty of alleged financial breaches in potentially the biggest scandal in English soccer history.
Reports on Friday said an independent panel had upheld nearly all of the 100-plus financial charges against the club in a case that was initiated more than three years ago.
City did not confirm the decision, saying its case with the Premier League was “ongoing” and yet to be completed.
The club, however, would appeal any guilty decision and the process would take several months, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to respect confidentiality.
The Athletic first reported City had been found guilty of all but one of more than 100 charges laid by the Premier League, which accused the club in February 2023 of providing misleading information about its finances over a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018.
The report said the sanctions have not been decided and all possibilities remain open. The BBC also reported the story.
In response, City said in a statement: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.”
City said its position “remains consistent” with previous comments about the case. The club has always denied the charges.
“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years,” City said.
“On the basis that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”
City’s punishment could range from a huge points deduction to expulsion from the Premier League.
When contacted on Friday, the Premier League said it could not comment on the reports.
City have protested their innocence ever since supposed leaked emails and documents were published starting in 2018 by German magazine Der Spiegel.
The documents allegedly showed City tried to mask the source of revenue from deals tied to Abu Dhabi, whose ruling family bought the club in 2008 and has overseen the spending of hundreds of millions of pounds on some of the world’s best players.
City have been the dominant team in England over the last 15 years, winning eight Premier League titles since 2012 as well as the Champions League in 2023.
Over the period in question – 2009-18 – City won the league three times, in 2012, 2014 and 2018.
The Premier League has financial fair play rules designed to ensure clubs essentially spend what they earn from deals that are assessed to determine if they are at legitimate market value.
City had previously been accused by UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, of overstating sponsorship revenue to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
In 2020, UEFA ruled City had committed “serious breaches” of FFP regulations from 2012-16, but a two-year ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport because allegations were either rejected or found to have happened too long ago to be investigated.
**2018**
November – German outlet Der Spiegel publishes what it says are internal emails from City which it alleged outlined schemes by the club to cover up sources of income in a bid to comply with financial fair play regulations. The information published by Der Spiegel was unearthed by the Football Leaks website, founded by Rui Pinto – a Portuguese computer hacker. City did not dispute the authenticity of the emails but said the club would not be providing comment on “out-of-context materials purportedly hacked or stolen from City Football Group and Manchester City personnel and associated people”. European soccer’s governing body UEFA starts a review of the case, which also sparks a Premier League investigation.
**2019**
March 7 – As Der Spiegel continues to publish internal City documents, UEFA opens a formal investigation. City say the opening of the investigation is “an opportunity to bring to an end the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out-of-context publication of City emails”.
May 14 – City say they have provided “comprehensive proof” financial regulations were not broken and the accusations are “entirely false”.
**2020**
February 14 – City banned from the Champions League for two seasons by UEFA for “serious breaches” of spending rules and failing to co-operate with investigators. City also fined 30 million euros ($A49 million). City called UEFA’s investigation “flawed” and announce plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
July 13 – City overturn Champions League ban after CAS upholds the club’s appeal, saying some UEFA allegations were not proven and others were “time-barred”. CAS imposes a 10 million euros fine on City for failing to co-operate with independent investigators.
**2023**
February 6 – City referred to an independent commission by the Premier League, which alleges more than 100 breaches of financial rules by the club, including providing misleading information about finances from 2009-18 and a subsequent failure to co-operate with the league’s investigation. City say there is a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to counter the allegations.
May 24 – City win the Premier League for a fifth time in six seasons and manager Pep Guardiola says he wants the financial charges dealt with “as soon as possible”.
September 11 – Rui Pinto given a suspended prison sentence of four years after being convicted by a Lisbon court of five counts of unauthorised entry into computer systems, three counts of intercepting correspondence for accessing emails, and one count of attempted extortion. During his trial, Pinto admitted being behind the information published on the website that was set up in 2015 but argued he was a whistleblower, not a criminal.
**2024**
September 16 – An independent commission, comprising three judges, begins the hearing into the Premier League charges against City.
December 6 – The hearing ends after 12 weeks, with no announcement over an expected date for the verdict.
**2026**
September 25 – Multiple outlets report City have been found guilty of all but one of the charges laid by the Premier League.