City Guilty

Manchester City has been found guilty on 114 of 115 charges tied to breaches of Premier League financial rules. The Athletic first reported the verdict Friday, confirmed by Bleacher Report and CBS Sports. An independent commission has not yet decided sanctions. City is expected to appeal.

The charges span financial reporting from 2009 to 2018. They trace back to a Premier League investigation launched in 2018, after Germany's Der Spiegel published leaked documents, CBS Sports reported. Investigators accused the club of off-the-books payments to former manager Roberto Mancini and backdated sponsorship deals. At 115 charges, this ranks among the longest-running disciplinary cases in English football history.

City faced more than 115 rule breaches, filed by the Premier League in February 2023, according to the Guardian, citing the Press Association. The commission hearing didn't open until Sept. 16, 2024, more than a year and a half later. Four months after the charges were filed, City won the Champions League for the first time.

City can appeal to a second independent panel made up of different judges, Manchester Evening News reported. That panel's ruling would be final. City cannot take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the body that threw out a UEFA Champions League ban against the club in 2020. The Premier League could also appeal the single charge City won. Manchester Evening News said the verdict has thrown the club and English football "into crisis."

City pushed back. In a statement carried by CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and other outlets, the club said: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC's position remains consistent with the club's statement of February 2023."

Denial has been consistent. CBS Sports reported the club has denied all 115 charges against it since they were filed.

Enzo Maresca now runs the show. Five games into his first season as City manager, replacing Pep Guardiola, the club sits top of the Premier League table.

Premier League clubs met Thursday to discuss the case, the Guardian reported. Everton paid compensation to Burnley this summer over a separate financial dispute. Some expect that case will inform any sanction against City, the Guardian noted.