Manchester City was accused on Monday by the Premier League of providing misleading information about its finances over a nine-year period when the club established itself as a force in English and European football following its takeover by Abu Dhabi’s ruling family. Was trying to set up as.
The explosive development comes at the end of a four-year investigation by the world’s most popular football league in the wake of leaked club emails and documents from city officials published by German magazine Der Spiegel in November 2018.
The Premier League issued a lengthy statement detailing a list of around 80 alleged breaches of its financial rules by City from 2009-18, the first nine full seasons under Abu Dhabi’s ownership. In that time, the team has won three Premier League titles – in 2012, 2014 and 2018 – in what has become the most successful period in City’s 143-year history.
The league also charged City with a further 30 breaches related to its alleged failure to cooperate with the investigation since December 2018.
The league said it had referred the violations to an independent commission ahead of a confidential hearing.
In a statement, City said it was “surprised” by the allegations, “particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed content that the EPL (English Premier League) has provided.
“The club welcomes a review of this matter by an independent commission to objectively consider the extensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position,” City said. “As such we look forward to putting this matter to rest once and for all.”
The Premier League has accused City of breaking rules requiring the provision in “utmost good faith” of “accurate financial information which gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position” between 2009–18 and “management remuneration”. Failed to give full details”. its relevant contracts” from 2009-13. Roberto Mancini was the manager during that period.
The third and fourth offenses are failure to comply with UEFA rules from 2013–18 and the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules from 2015–18.
For the fifth offence, City are accused of breaching rules requiring clubs to “co-operate with the Premier League and assist in its investigation” from December 2018 to the present day.
City, the defending Premier League champions and home to some of the world’s top players such as Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne, could be at risk of a harsher punishment. The league’s rulebook gives a disciplinary commission the power to impose a wide range of sanctions as well as “such other penalties as it may deem fit.”
A hefty fine seems inevitable if the charge is proved. According to the rules of the league, even in play there is a point deduction, a title is canceled or even expelled from the league.
Citi never disputed that the documents leaked by Der Spiegel were authentic, but argued that the evidence had been stolen and reported out of context.
While City was under investigation by the Premier League, the club was handed a two-year ban from European club competitions, which was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020 after UEFA found City to have breached Financial Fair Play rules from 2012–16. had committed a “serious breach”. , This matter also came to light behind the leaked information.
City were not completely cleared of wrongdoing, although the court stated that some allegations had not been proven or could not be judged due to the statute of limitations in UEFA regulations. There is no such deadline on the finances under investigation by the Premier League.
CAS also fined City 10 million euros (then $11.3 million) for failing to cooperate with investigators. Court judges said the club’s “blatant disregard” should be “strongly condemned”.
The city has been transformed into an English footballing power since its purchase in September 2008 by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family.
Under their Abu Dhabi ownership, City – who previously lived in the shadow of neighbors Manchester United – have won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and six English League Cups.
The team are second in the Premier League halfway through this season, five points behind Arsenal with one game more to play.