The Premier League verdict in Manchester City's 115 charges case is not yet public; a possible appeal could push the outcome into 2027, with sanctions dependent on the findings
Manchester City has allegedly breached the Premier League's financial rules
Manchester City has allegedly breached the Premier League's financial rules(Image: Getty Images)
Friday's revelation that Manchester City is widely expected to be found guilty of the majority of charges in the 115 case has sent shockwaves through football and beyond.
The U.K. Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has weighed in — the potential ramifications for relations with the United Arab Emirates have been debated — and that's before even considering the sporting penalties that may follow. Liverpool is among the clubs awaiting the outcome of the case, while City has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Despite the considerable furor over the past few days, the Premier League has yet to release its official ruling, meaning further uncertainty lies ahead. Once that verdict is made public, the path forward should begin to take shape.
Should City be found guilty of some or the majority of the charges brought against it, the club will contest any such verdict. City's legal team, led by Lord Pannick KC, will have 14 days to lodge an appeal; proceedings would then commence, potentially within the coming weeks, though more realistically within the next couple of months.
Premier League regulations stipulate that the appeal process should not exceed five days and must be concluded within three months of the appeal being filed, which could push a final resolution into 2027.
The outcome of any appeal would subsequently determine the sanctions imposed upon City, contingent on the number of charges upheld and their relative severity, which vary considerably across five broad categories.
The story is one of the biggest of 2026
The story is one of the biggest of 2026(Image: Getty Images)
They are as follows:
Failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information between 2009 and 2018
Failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation between 2009 and 2018
Failure to comply with UEFA regulations, including Financial Fair Play regulations
Breaching Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules between 2015 and 2018
Failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations between 2018 and 2023
City has consistently been expected to be found guilty of charge number five, the least severe of the allegations. The second category concerns purported dual contracts for figures such as Roberto Mancini and Yaya Toure, designed to facilitate payments exceeding officially declared amounts and thus constitute a form of misconduct, albeit on a smaller scale.
The third and fourth categories are interconnected with the initial two; if City's accounting has been dishonest, the club will almost certainly have violated UEFA and Premier League financial regulations. The first category has always represented the most substantial and grave allegation, essentially involving the disguising of owner investment as legitimate sponsorship income.
Should City be convicted of the gravest charges, or indeed the vast majority of allegations brought against the club, a severe sanction would be anticipated. The precise nature of such punishment remains subject to conjecture, but options include substantial financial penalties, points deductions, transfer embargoes and potentially expulsion from the Premier League.
If the final verdict following appeal proves less damaging than current indications suggest and more favorable from the City's standpoint, the sanction will be calibrated accordingly. A considerable fine appears unavoidable regardless, unless City secures complete exoneration.
Should City be convicted on most charges, a renewed round of legal proceedings initiated by rival clubs seems likely, triggering another intricate process that will require additional time and resources, likely extending into the latter half of next year and potentially into 2028. The entire case is without precedent, and consequently, what follows is equally unprecedented.
What remains certain is that whenever the official verdict is published, it will not mark the conclusion of the affair.