Manchester City have formally lodged an appeal against the decision of an independent commission that found the club guilty of every charge relating to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations. In a press release the club maintained its innocence, describing the commission’s opinion as merely an "opinion" riddled with "clear material errors of law, principle and fact" and deeming it "unsafe". The commission’s investigation concluded that, between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, Manchester City had entered into a series of sham contracts with several commercial partners. According to the findings, these arrangements formed part of a "disguised funding scheme" designed to artificially boost the club’s reported revenue by roughly £830 million.
The club was given a deadline of Friday to submit an appeal and confirmed that it had done so just before midday on the day the deadline expired. In the official statement released on Friday, Manchester City said: "Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7 p.m.
on Thursday 1 October 2026 the club lodged its comprehensive appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter. The club’s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors of law, principle and fact and is unsafe. The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete." It is worth noting that the statement mistakenly refers to a "Premier League commission"; the body that issued the verdict is in fact an independent commission appointed to examine the alleged breaches.
Manchester City remains a member of the Premier League and, as such, is bound by the league’s disciplinary framework. The original tribunal that rendered the guilty opinion was composed of three independent members and spent almost two years drafting its judgment.
The Premier League’s own investigation into the matter began eight years ago, and the club was formally charged three and a half years ago. Later on Friday, the Premier League confirmed that the club’s appeal had indeed been lodged. The appeal was submitted to the Chair of the Judicial Panel, and the club emphasized that the subsequent appeal hearing would be private and confidential until the outcome could be publicly disclosed.
Sky Sports News analyst Kaveh Solhekol explained the procedural timetable: "The appeal was lodged on Thursday at 7 p.m., and under the Premier League’s rules the appeal must be concluded within 12 weeks, which takes us to the week before Christmas. The hearing itself can only last five days, and those five days must be taken in a single block. The appeal panel – a different three‑person panel from the original tribunal – will have 30 days to reach a decision, which pushes the likely judgment date into the third week of January." Solhekol added that the accelerated timeline is a new rule introduced this season to speed up disciplinary processes.
He suggested that Manchester City might argue that the expedited timetable should not apply to their case because the matter has been ongoing for years and the rule was only implemented recently. Further commentary from Sky Sports News’ Lyall Thomas highlighted a key argument the club is expected to raise: that the extra funding recorded in the alleged sponsorship deals originated from the Abu Dhabi government rather than from the club’s owners. City’s legal team previously asserted during the 2024 hearing that the government had provided the money, a claim the independent commission rejected as a post‑hoc justification designed to conceal the reality of the disguised funding scheme.
Nevertheless, the club appears poised to continue contesting the commission’s conclusion on this point. Manchester City is majority‑owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan through Newton Investment and Development LLC.
Sheikh Mansour is a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi and serves as the United Arab Emirates’ Vice‑President and Deputy Prime Minister. The intertwining of state‑linked investment and private ownership has long been a source of scrutiny and debate among observers of the sport. The commission also described it as "regrettable" that the decision took so long to be reached, noting that the hearing spanned from September to December 2024.
After the guilty opinion was published, Manchester City issued a statement on Tuesday expressing disappointment and surprise. The club reiterated its claim of innocence, asserted the existence of a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" supporting its position, and pledged to be "relentless and, where necessary, proactive" in pursuing all appropriate regulatory and legal avenues.
City’s statement also emphasized that the Premier League process remains incomplete, with significant elements still pending. The club stressed that it has respected due process for eight years, trusting that the Premier League board and executive would act as an independent, impartial, and fair‑minded regulator free from partisan influence. Again, the statement mistakenly referred to a "Premier League commission" instead of the independent commission that rendered the verdict.
According to Sky Sports News analysts Kaveh Solhekol and Amar Mehta, the appeal could extend into the following year if Manchester City successfully argues that the newly introduced accelerated appeal rules should not apply to a case that originated before those rules existed. The current handbook stipulates that the appeal phase must be concluded within 12 weeks and that the hearing itself cannot exceed five days.
However, a legal expert told Sky Sports that City has a strong argument for an exemption, given that the charges were filed in 2023 and the hearing took place in 2024—well before the speed‑up provisions were added to the Premier League Handbook. The new rules were introduced to ensure that clubs are punished within the same season that breaches occur, thereby enhancing the integrity and timeliness of the disciplinary system. Whether Manchester City’s appeal will be heard under the old or new procedural framework remains to be seen, and the outcome could set an important precedent for future financial fair‑play cases in English football. In the meantime, fans and observers are encouraged to stay informed as the case unfolds.
The appeal process, while confidential, will eventually produce a public judgment that could have significant ramifications for the club’s financial operations, its reputation, and the broader conversation about state‑linked investment in the sport. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1 million! Enter for free.