Manchester City Found Guilty of 115 Charges: Premier League Confirms £900m Sham Deals, Relegation Threat

BREAKING: Manchester City】 Found GUILTY Of 115 Charges — Premier League Confirms £900m Sham Deals

In what could be the biggest scandal in Premier League history, Manchester City have been found guilty of serious financial breaches, the Premier League confirmed on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

An independent commission found the club guilty of all charges related to financial rule breaches spanning the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons and the majority of charges relating to failure to cooperate with the investigation.

How The Premier League】 Found Out

It all started in November 2018 when German outlet Der Spiegel published leaked internal emails from the Football Leaks website, alleging schemes to disguise revenue sources.

According to the Premier League, City used "sham contracts" in which sponsors paid less than the contracts stated, with the difference funded by Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) who owned the club.

The league says this resulted in approximately £900 million of inflated revenue and reduced costs over nine years.

From 115 To 130 Charges

When first charged in February 2023 following a four-year investigation, City faced 115 alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018. The case has since grown to around 130 charges as new breaches were added.

The breakdown: 54 counts of false financial info, 14 counts of inaccurate player/manager payments, 7 counts of PSR breach, 5 counts of UEFA FFP breach, and 35 counts of failure to cooperate.

UEFA Tried First, But Failed

UEFA banned City from Champions League for two seasons in February 2020. But City appealed to CAS and the ban was overturned because the alleged breaches were time-barred under UEFA's 5-year limit. Premier League has no such time limit.

The secret hearing ran from September 16 to December 6, 2024, before the verdict was reached.

Verdict Details: 114 of 115

On September 25, The Athletic first reported City were found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges. The Premier League】's official confirmation came four days later.

Rio Ferdinand went viral immediately after the news, claiming another Premier League medal, while former Stoke boss Tony Pulis said he felt "cheated" after losing the 2011 FA Cup final to City during the period in question.

What Punishment Could City Face?

This is critical: No punishment has been decided yet. The guilty verdict and sanctions are two separate hearings.

Possible sanctions under Premier League rules:

• Huge fine • Points deduction (past or current season) • Suspension from league matches • Expulsion / Relegation from Premier League • Title stripping

There is currently little appetite to strip past titles, but relegation and a multi-window transfer ban are being discussed widely on social media.

Manchester City say they are "surprised" after the Premier League confirmed findings and have vowed to appeal. Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak insists "nothing has changed."

What Next For RatelNews Readers?

If the appeal fails, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are already lining up legal action for compensation for lost titles, prize money and Champions League revenue.

For City fans, the immediate focus is on the sanctions hearing. For the rest of football, it's a landmark moment for Financial Fair Play.

Follow ratelnews.org for live updates as the punishment hearing date is announced.

Sources: Premier League official statement Sept 29 2026, Reuters, The Athletic, SportsMole