Manchester City guilty of Premier League charges after £900m of ‘sham’ contracts
Manchester City has been found guilty by an independent commission of breaching Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period, including the use of 'sham' contracts to inflate revenue. The club plans to appeal the decision, which could lead to unprecedented sanctions such as a points deduction or relegation.
Why it matters
This case is considered the most significant in Premier League history and could fundamentally change how financial regulations are enforced in professional sports.
The Premier League has confirmed Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges of breaching its financial rules over a nine-year period, with the club found to have boosted their income by a staggering amount of more than £900 million.
In a bombshell announcement, the Premier League revealed an independent commission had found City guilty of arranging “sham contracts” with commercial partners to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs, and of filing inaccurate accounts to hide the true state of their finances, which if accurately reported would have led to significant breaches of Premier League and Uefa spending limits.
The club were also found to have entered into “sham” image rights deals with players and the then manager Roberto Mancini to artificially inflate their earnings.
Also covering this story
13 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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