Manchester City were handed a guilty verdict over breaches of the Premier League's financial rules last week, with the club working behind the scenes to clear their name
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Manchester City were found guilty of financial breaches(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
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Manchester City will attempt to prove their innocence after being found guilty of breaches of the Premier League's financial rules via the Abu Dhabi government, as per reports. The Premier League revealed that an independent panel had found City guilty of financial infractions earlier this week with a scathing statement.
The charges, which relate to a nine-year period spanning 2009 and 2018, could change the scape of the club's landscape, dependent on how the Premier League opt to penalise the Cityzens. However, no decisions will be made until the other side of a lengthy appeals process has been reached.
City will look to challenge the findings of the independent panel responsible for their guilty verdict, as they have claimed innocence throughout the saga. And according to the Daily Mail, the Sky Blues will look to utilise the Abu Dhabi government to plead their case.
The publication claims that City will argue that the nation's officials part-funded sponsorship deals labelled a 'sham' by the Premier League, rather than the club's owners. It comes as City are alleged to have pumped over £900million into the club to comply with financial rules, with their Abu Dhabi owners topping up commercial partnerships by more than £830m.
As a result, City were able to sign players that they otherwise would have not had the financial capability to access. Now it is claimed by sources that the Cityzens argue how funds were paid by the Abu Dhabi government, rather than the Abu Dhabi United Group.
Thus, the club believe that no rules were broken. Sponsorship deals via government-funded companies are not banned by the Premier League, and are largely commonplace. The club also argue that they have 'irrefutable evidence' through bank statements and witness accounts.
A statement from the club in response to the Premier League's announcement read: "Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission, that has been published today. The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case.
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"The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums. The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted.
"Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak alongside Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano
Manchester City have appealed their guilty verdict(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
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"The Club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence. The Club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete."
Should City fail in their appeal, then the Premier League could pick from a litany of punishments to hand them for breaking the rules. Those include the likes of severe fines and transfer embargoes, as well as points deductions or expulsion from the league altogether.
City could also be stripped of the titles they won between the period where the charges are alleged to have taken place.