Manchester City to Lodge Appeal Against Premier League Financial Breach Verdict

Manchester City has until Friday, October 2, to appeal a guilty verdict involving serious financial rule breaches between 2009 and 2018.

Manchester City has until Friday, October 2, to formally lodge an appeal against a guilty verdict involving serious breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009 and 2018. The independent commission's judgement, published on Tuesday, found the club guilty of all charges related to these violations. While the verdict has been delivered, the Premier League confirmed that the issue of specific sanctions will be addressed during a separate future hearing.

Club CEO Ferran Soriano characterized the case as being based on a single false accusation regarding the secret injection of the owner's personal money through Abu Dhabi sponsors. In a statement to employees, Soriano denied these claims, asserting that the club’s lawyers will argue the commission's opinion contains material errors of law, principle, and fact. The club officially labeled the current findings as unsafe.

The Premier League initially announced these charges in February 2023 and has stated an intention to conclude the full process, including all appeals, as quickly as possible. Under competition rules, City maintains the right to challenge the commission's findings. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy noted that the verdict could potentially lead to the club's expulsion from the league, while former player Roy Keane suggested the team's medals should be discarded following the ruling.