Manchester City has been found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules for nearly a decade. An independent commission determined the club artificially inflated its revenue by £900m, or more than $1 billion, over a nine-year period. The panel concluded that the club used sham contracts to boost income to comply with spending rules, allowing it to circumvent fair-play regulations that restricted rival clubs and pad its roster.
The club has denied any wrongdoing, describing the allegations as a conspiracy theory. Manchester City has stated its intention to lodge an appeal against the guilty verdict, with a deadline to do so by Friday. Such appeals and further claims threaten to prolong the long-running saga.
The club now faces an uncertain future and may owe the Premier League tens of millions of pounds in compensation for legal costs. While officials have not yet set a timeline for a decision, senior football figures suggest that punishment should be handed down before the end of the current season.
According to Premier League rules, potential sanctions for the breaches could vary. Possible penalties include fines, massive points deductions, or even expulsion from the division.