Manchester City found to have breached financial rules by over £900 million between 2009-18

The Premier League said Manchester City violated both league and UEFA financial regulations by more than £900 million during the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons. The investigation, which began in 2019, concluded that the club inflated sponsorship revenues, recording amounts far above what sponsors actually paid, with the shortfall funded by its owner, Abu Dhabi United Group. Revenue from listed sponsors rose from about £82 million to £500 million, while the actual cash received was only £119 million, meaning roughly £831 million was provided by the owner and recorded as sponsorship income.

The league’s statement noted that the club has until 2 October to lodge an appeal and that the full process, including any appeals, will be concluded as quickly as possible. Potential penalties range from fines and transfer bans to point deductions, relegation or expulsion from the English football league system.

"The league board’s intention is that the full process (including any appeals and publication of relevant decisions) is concluded as soon as possible," the Premier League said.

The findings also highlighted smaller breaches, such as undisclosed payments to former manager Roberto Mancini and the use of a company for player image-rights deals that was deemed a front for the owner’s group. The case follows earlier sanctions against other clubs for similar profit-and-sustainability rule violations.