Manchester City found guilty of Premier League financial rule breaches, will appeal

An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, ruling that the club used what investigators described as "sham" arrangements to inflate its revenues and reduce its costs by more than £900m.

The commission's findings relate to how City reported its finances to the league over a period spanning multiple seasons, with investigators concluding that some of the club's declared income did not reflect genuine, arm's-length transactions.

Manchester City has said it will appeal the ruling, arguing that the process has not adequately reflected the evidence it submitted. The club has denied wrongdoing throughout the lengthy investigation, which has drawn wide attention across English football.

The Premier League opened its case against City in 2023, alleging more than 100 breaches of its financial rules dating back several years. The scale of the alleged breaches and the club's continued success on the pitch during the period under scrutiny have made the case one of the most closely watched disciplinary proceedings in the sport's history.

The exact sporting and financial sanctions that could follow the guilty finding have not yet been set out. An appeal is expected to further delay any final resolution of a case that has already run for several years.