In short
- The Guardian states City operated a disguised funding scheme worth £830.6m from 2009-10 to 2017-18 and hid costs by a further £70m.
- The Guardian notes City will appeal the verdict before Friday’s deadline and the Premier League published a redacted 40-page core decision.
What happened
Manchester City were found guilty by an independent commission of breaching Premier League financial rules over nine seasons, including arranging sham contracts and filing inaccurate accounts to hide their finances. The club artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900m, with disguised funding schemes involving sponsors and image rights deals.
The commission also found City guilty of failing to cooperate with the Premier League and acting in bad faith, making concerted efforts to frustrate the investigation. The Premier League published a redacted 40-page core decision after a 42-day hearing, and City will appeal the verdict before Friday’s deadline.
In numbers
- £900m artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs
- £830.6m disguised funding scheme over nine seasons
- 40 pages in the redacted core decision
Named in this item
Organization, regulator GB — —
What compliance teams should check
- Review all sponsorship and commercial contracts for sham arrangements as described in the Premier League core decision.
- Assess image rights deals with players and managers for compliance with Premier League and Uefa spending limits.
- Ensure cooperation and good faith with Premier League investigations, referencing the commission’s findings on Manchester City’s conduct.
Why it matters
This case highlights the risks of complex funding schemes and sham contracts used to circumvent financial rules, which can lead to severe regulatory consequences including points deductions and potential relegation. The commission’s findings on false witness testimony and deliberate obstruction underscore the importance of transparency and cooperation with regulators. Compliance officers must scrutinize all financial arrangements and ensure accurate reporting to avoid similar breaches and regulatory action, especially given the scale of the misconduct and the unprecedented punishment likely to follow.
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‘Sham’ contracts helped inflate revenues by £900m Commission finds club guilty over nine-season period Manchester City breached Premier League financial rules by creating “sham” contracts to help inflate revenue and reduce costs by more than £900m over a nine-year period, an independent commission found. The league announced on Tuesday that City had been found guilty on all charges related to serious breaches of its financial rules between seasons 2009-10 and 2017-18. It said a sanction would be addressed in a further hearing with the commission. Continue reading...The Guardian, 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC, theguardian.com