The Manchester City football club is currently facing allegations of financial rule breaches and could be expelled from the Premier League. On February 6, the Premier League announced that the club had allegedly acted improperly on multiple occasions by skirting regulations.
What did Manchester City do?
According to a statement released by the Premier League, the club has repeatedly failed to provide accurate financial information “that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position, in particular with respect to its revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties and its operating costs.”
There are also allegations of discrepancies found in how much Manchester City paid manager Roberto Mancini from 2009-13 and various players from 2010-16. Additionally, the club faces accusations of not cooperating with Premier League investigators.
Currently, the club has been referred to an independent commission over the charges. The club has also released a statement.
The statement read: “Manchester City is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with”
“The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position. As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”
The Club’s Potential Punishment and Previous Mistakes
So far, the football club is only facing accusations and has refused to comment following the release of their statement. If the club is found guilty, the Premier League could lay out sanctions, including business penalties like reprimands, fines, and points deductions in the standings or even expulsion from the top division. The delivery of these punishments, however, could take years to conclude.
This is not the first time that the club has faced trouble. In 2020, UEFA hit Manchester City with a two-season ban from European competition. If the ban stuck, the club could have missed the Champions League. The club had successfully argued against the allegations at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, stating that the accusations were outside UEFA’s statute of limitations.
What comes next?
Given that the club has been referred to an independent commission over the charges, the club will not be able to appeal the decision of that commission to the Court of Arbitration for Sport as it did with UEFA’s findings.
For now, the club will have private and confidential hearings with the 15-member commission, appointed by the Premier League’s judicial panel. The judicial panel consists of sitting or retired judges, attorneys, and football administrators.
Before the Allegations
While the club is accused of many things, they have made many achievements over the years. Before their allegations by the Premier League, the club has had a decade of relentless success. After 2008, the club has claimed six Premier League titles, two F.A. Cups, six league cups, and a berth in the 2021 Champions League final.
Their other accomplishments include winning two English top-division titles in 1937 and 1968.
