The light blue team was found guilty of 114 charges of breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations.
Enzo Maresca has led the Blues to the top of the Premier League table as the new Manchester City manager. “Now all the hard work can come to nothing.
Manchester City has been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges from the Premier League for breaching the competition’s financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. And the penalties against Manchester City could be quite severe.
Arsenal and Liverpool are chasing the same Brentford star
As The Athletic revealed, the independent commission of the English tournament has concluded its assessment of the case that was started in February 2023 – leaving open penalties ranging from financial fines and points deductions to banning from the competition.
The range of penalties laid down in rule W.51
The Independent Commission’s punitive powers are governed by Rule W.51 of the UK body. Measures range from public warnings and financial compensation to retroactive loss of points in the seasons under investigation – which could result in league titles won under Abu Dhabi United Group’s leadership being stripped away.
If immediate points deduction is applied in the current 2026/27 season, the measure will change the management of the squad led by Enzo Maresca – a team that has 15 points after winning its first 5 official games, after spending £450m this summer, including the £125m purchase of Enzo Fernández.
The precedent with UEFA and the club’s appeals process
The Premier League process follows the case opened by UEFA in February 2020 – the body that imposed a two-year ban from European competitions and a fine of €30 million, a sentence that was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) citing that the conditions were time-barred. Nevertheless, the CAS upheld a fine of £8.8 million at the time for failure to cooperate in obtaining evidence.
The board of the Manchester-based club confirmed through an official spokesperson that they will appeal the ruling to the independent appeals bodies set by the English league itself.
The regulatory panel will issue the final ruling with associated penalties during the last quarter of 2026. Manchester City will have a period of 14 days to appeal the decision and seek a lighter sentence.
Read on English Clubs: Betting on sensational return – Trent Alexander-Arnold could solve Liverpool’s problems
