Manchester City is preparing to appeal the independent commission's guilty verdict, with fresh reports revealing a key argument the club is expected to make
The logo / badge of Manchester City is seen on signage near Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City FC
Manchester City are set to appeal the independent commission's guilty verdict regarding of breaches of the Premier League spending rules(Image: Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Manchester City will claim that its sponsorship cash was paid by the Abu Dhabi government, not its owners, as part of its appeal against the independent commission's guilty verdict for serious breaches of Premier League financial rules, according to the latest reports.
The football world has been shaken over the last week after it emerged that the case, which has affected the Premier League for several years, is finally approaching a conclusion. City was first charged with over 100 breaches of the league's financial rules in 2023, and a 12-week hearing before an independent panel followed in September 2024.
Almost two years on from the conclusion of the hearing, the commission has finally delivered its verdict and it's fair to say it was scathing of City. A statement released by the Premier League confirmed that the Manchester club arranged ‘sham’ contracts with a number of its commercial partners, as well as relying on ‘sham’ agreements with others, in order to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs.
READ MORE: Liverpool duo given rare chance to impress Andoni Iraola during international break
City has until Friday to appeal, which the club confirmed it would do when the ruling first entered the public sphere. Now, fresh reports have indicated what will form the basis of its appeal, which will be heard before a newly appointed panel.
According to The Times, City will claim sponsorship revenue was paid by the Abu Dhabi government, not the club's owners, as the commission's findings claim. City maintains that funding did not originate from Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), which holds ownership of the club, and continues to claim it has a "body of irrefutable evidence."
While the evidence has already been used by City, and rejected by the commission, this is rumored to be what it will base its appeal on. It has been widely reported that the commission concluded City's explanation was "one the club had concocted after the fact in an attempt to conceal the realities of the Disguised Funding Scheme."
Still, City continues to deny any wrongdoing and will use the argument in its appeal before Friday's deadline. When confirming its intention earlier this week, the club argued that the commission's findings were compromised by "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe".
Manchester City players celebrate with the Premier League trophy
Manchester City won three Premier League titles during the nine-year window in which is violated financial rules(Image: AFP PHOTO/PAUL ELLIS)
How long the appeal process drags on is unclear. While new Premier League rules stipulate the appeal hearing must be concluded within 12 weeks, the panel is then given a further 30 days to make a decision.
Article continues below
That is not guaranteed and City could then appeal any sanctions imposed against it in the event its appeal of the verdict is unsuccessful. While the club cannot take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, it could appeal the process at the High Court, but there is an extremely high bar to prove procedural irregularity or bias, and it cannot simply disagree with the verdict.
In the meantime, football will continue as normally as it possibly can given the circumstances. News has, of course, dropped during the international break, in which City's players are scattered all over the world.
City will return to action in a little over a week's time with, interestingly, a trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the Premier League. Given the Reds are one of the teams that have fallen victim to City's dominance over the years, it's no doubt going to be a lively and intense atmosphere.