An independent adjudicating tribunal has now issued rulings on the extensive docket of 115 alleged breaches lodged against Manchester City, according to multiple media outlets. The consensus among those reports is that a substantial proportion of the accusations have been deemed proven, prompting the case to move forward into an appeal stage. Sky Sports News reports that the tribunal’s findings have set the stage for the club to challenge the decisions, as the process transitions from the initial determination to a formal appeal. The Premier League has declined to comment publicly, emphasizing that the matter remains a private and confidential proceeding and that it will not issue any guidance or statements regarding the ongoing investigation.
A spokesperson for Manchester City responded, reiterating the club’s long‑standing position. "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.
As such Manchester City FC's position remains consistent with the club's statement of February 2023. The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair‑minded regulator, free from partisan influence," the spokesperson said.
Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports News provided a detailed breakdown of the charges. According to Solhekol, the club faces allegations of contravening the Premier League’s financial regulations over a span of nearly a decade, from the 2009‑10 season through to 2018. In addition, the club is accused of failing to cooperate fully with the Premier League’s investigative efforts between 2019 and 2023. The club, however, continues to deny any wrongdoing and insists that its defence is underpinned by a body of irrefutable evidence.
The 115 charges fall into several categories. Fifty‑four of them relate to alleged failures to submit accurate financial information to the league. Thirty‑five charges concern alleged non‑cooperation with investigations conducted between December 2018 and February 2023.
Fourteen charges are tied to purported inaccuracies in the reporting of player and manager remuneration for the 2009‑10 and 2017‑18 seasons. Seven charges allege breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules for the 2015‑16 and 2017‑18 campaigns. Finally, five charges pertain to alleged violations of UEFA regulations, including the Financial Fair Play rules for the 2013‑14 and 2017‑18 seasons. Solhekol also highlighted the potential consequences should the Premier League’s disciplinary commission ultimately rule against Manchester City.
The league possesses broad discretion to impose sanctions, which could range from points deductions and monetary fines to the extreme measure of expulsion from the competition. Unlike many other regulatory bodies, the Premier League does not operate a fixed sanctions grid for financial rule breaches. This absence is intentional; the league has historically avoided codifying penalties out of concern that clubs might gamble on rule‑breaking if they knew precisely what punishment would follow. In February 2025, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters indicated that the organization was considering the introduction of a "sanctions grid"—a structured framework that would outline predetermined penalties for specific violations.
However, as of now, no such system has been formally adopted. Historical precedents illustrate the range of possible outcomes. Everton, for instance, suffered a six‑point deduction followed by an additional two points during the 2023‑24 season for breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Nottingham Forest also incurred a four‑point deduction in the same season for similar infractions. Going further back, Luton Town was penalised with a massive 30‑point deduction in the 2008‑09 campaign—ten points for illegal payments to agents and another twenty for exiting administration without a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).
More recently, Derby County faced a 21‑point deduction in the 2021‑22 season, split between twelve points for entering administration and nine points for broader financial irregularities. The Manchester City case is therefore situated within a broader context of financial governance in English football, where the Premier League has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to impose severe point penalties when clubs are found to have contravened financial regulations.
The ongoing appeal will test the robustness of the club’s legal arguments and the evidentiary foundation of its defence. It will also provide further insight into how the league may evolve its disciplinary framework, especially if a sanctions grid is eventually introduced. For now, both the club and its supporters await the outcome of the appeal, while the league maintains its stance of confidentiality.
The next steps will likely involve detailed legal submissions, possible hearings before an independent panel, and, depending on the findings, a determination of the appropriate remedial measures. Whether Manchester City will face a points deduction, a financial fine, or a more severe sanction remains to be seen, but the precedent set by previous cases suggests that the league is prepared to act decisively in order to preserve the integrity of its financial rules.