Manchester City has recently been charged by the premier league for many breaches of the financial fair play over a 4-year investigation. These charges have dated back to 2009, where they have 3 charges from the 2009/10 season. 115 charges and make a stunning allegation: that the league’s champion is also a cheat. City has expressed surprise at the charges.  According to the New York Times (Manchester City and the Bruising Battle to Avoid Losing It All – The New York Times (nytimes.com)) the club has long rejected claims of financial misdeeds as an “organized and clear attempt” to damage its reputation. Last week, it said it welcomed the chance to present its “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” that it had done nothing wrong. Under the rules of the Premier League, If Manchester City is found guilty, faces a range of punishments up to and including expulsion from the league. On the bright side for Manchester city supporters is that they have hired a new lawyer that is apparently one of the best in this department. Even the fans were exhilarated with the signing of the new lawyer as the made a 100-foot banner just to announce the hiring of him, and the wen down the streets of Manchester singing songs and chats from him with the banner celebrating his arrival.

Now this is not the first time where Manchester City has been charged by financial fair play. Back in 2019 Manchester City was charged by not the premier league but the UEFA Champions League financial fair play. In the 2019 season Manchester City was temporarily suspended/removed from the champions league, a competition that has been their biggest challenge and goal to complete but they have never won it even with all of the middle eastern oil money they’ve got under their wing. While the Premier League and UEFA have had separate ways of dealing with Financial Fair Play, it is in the rules of the Premier League that clubs need to comply with UEFA regulations. During the period of 2013 to 2018, the club are alleged not to have upheld this. City were found not to have disguised equity funding as sponsorship contributions by CAS but were found to have failed to co-operate with UEFA authorities.

Some of the charges have been explained that between 2015 and 2018, City are alleged to have not submitted its annual report and profit and loss balance sheet “based on the latest information available to the club and be, to the best of the club’s knowledge and belief, an accurate estimate as at the time of preparation of future financial performance” according to Manchester Evening News (Man City charges from Premier League explained and what happens next – Manchester Evening News). This involves sponsorship again, relating to related party transactions and the fair market value of sponsorships. City have always insisted that they have been in the rules on this, a verdict that CAS held for the claims that UEFA brought. Evan though Manchester City has a very impressive legal team and lots of money to waste on this little hiccup after four long years to get to this point, it would be a surprise to see this sorted quickly though. A fair hearing will demand extensive evidence to be heard and read, even if all parties are keen to reach a conclusion.