Manchester City found guilty of financial breaches: Key takeaways
What's the story
Manchester City have been found guilty of almost all charges related to financial breaches in the Premier League. As per The Athletic, the club was charged after an investigation into alleged violations between 2009 and 2018. An independent commission was appointed to adjudicate the charges, which came to light after German newspaper Der Spiegel leaked financial documents from City in November 2018.
Allegations
What were the charges against Manchester City?
The Premier League accused Manchester City of failing to provide accurate financial information and details of payments to players and coaches.
The club was also charged with breaching UEFA's financial fair play (FFP) regulations and the league's own profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
Despite these allegations, the club has always denied any wrongdoing.
Previous sanctions
UEFA banned Manchester City from its competitions
In February 2020, UEFA imposed a two-year ban on Manchester City from its competitions and fined them €30 million ($32.2 million) after the Der Spiegel leaks.
However, these sanctions were overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) five months later.
CAS ruled that the alleged FFP breaches were either not established or time-barred under UEFA regulations.
Evidence issues
Manchester City's punishment after CAS ruling
Although Manchester City was cleared of the FFP breaches, they were found guilty of not cooperating with UEFA by failing to provide substantial amounts of evidence.
This breach was deemed "severe" and warranted serious reproach, resulting in an £8.8 million fine from CAS.
The Premier League has yet to announce any sanctions against City for the financial breaches.
Penalty possibilities
What next for Manchester City?
The potential penalties for Manchester City are outlined in rule W.51 of the Premier League's handbook.
These range from a reprimand and fines to points deductions or even expulsion from the Premier League.
Any points deduction could be applied at the time of decision or retrospectively, raising the possibility of City being stripped of titles.
MCI
City release a statement
As per BBC Sport, asked if the report was correct, City did not comment.
Instead they released a statement saying: "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."
"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."
Charges
Allegations have been divided into five broad categories
City were charged with 115 alleged breaches of Premier League regulations, covering a period stretching from the 2009-10 season to February 2023.
As per BBC Sport, the allegations have been divided into five broad categories:
54 charges relating to alleged failures to provide accurate financial information between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
14 charges concerning allegedly inaccurate reporting of player and managerial payments during the same period.
5 charges involving alleged breaches of UEFA regulations, including Financial Fair Play rules, from 2013-14 to 2017-18.
7 charges relating to alleged violations of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) between 2015-16 and 2017-18.
35 charges concerning alleged failures to cooperate with the Premier League's investigation, covering December 2018 to February 2023.