LONDON – Manchester City were accused by the Premier League on Monday of providing misleading information about its finances over a nine-year period as the club attempted to establish itself as a force in English and European football following its takeover by the Abu Dhabi ruling family to establish.
The explosive development came at the end of a four-year investigation into the world’s most popular football league into leaked club emails and city officials’ documents, published by German magazine Der Spiegel in November 2018.
The Premier League released a lengthy statement listing some 80 alleged breaches of its financial rules by City from 2009 to 2018, the first nine full seasons owned by Abu Dhabi. During that time, the team won three Premier League titles – in 2012, 2014 and 2018 – in the most successful period in City’s 143-year history.
The league also accused City of 30 other violations related to an alleged failure to cooperate in the investigation since December 2018.
The league said it referred the violations to an independent commission before a confidential hearing.
In a statement, City said it was “surprised” by the allegations, “particularly given the extensive commitment and vast amount of detailed material that has been made available to the EPL (English Premier League).
“The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission to impartially review the extensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position,” City said. “As such, we look forward to this matter being settled once and for all, everyone.”
The Premier League has accused City of breaching rules mandating the provision of “accurate financial information which gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position” between 2009 and 2018 and failing to provide “full details of managers’ pay”. its relevant contracts” from 2009-13. Roberto Mancini was manager during this period.
The third and fourth offenses are breaches of the 2013-18 UEFA Regulations and the 2015-18 Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
In the fifth offence, City are accused of breaching rules requiring clubs to “co-operate with the Premier League and assist them in their investigations” from December 2018 to present.
City, the defending Premier League champions and a team featuring some of the world’s best players like Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, could face severe penalties. The league’s rule book gives a Disciplinary Committee the power to impose a range of sanctions, as well as the wider scope of “other penalties as it deems appropriate.”
A hefty fine seems inevitable if the allegations are proven. A point deduction, a cancellation of a title or even an exclusion from the league are also involved according to the league rules.
City has never disputed that the documents leaked by Der Spiegel were authentic, but has argued the evidence was stolen and taken out of context.
While City was under investigation by the Premier League, the club had a two-year ban from European club competitions, which was lifted by the Arbitration Court for Sport in 2020 after UEFA ruled that City committed “serious breaches” of financial fair play rules from 2012 to 2016 had committed . This case also arose on the basis of the leaked information.
City were not fully cleared of wrongdoing, although the court said some of the allegations were unproven or could not be adjudicated due to a statute of limitations in UEFA rules. There are no such time limits on the finances being investigated by the Premier League.
The CAS also fined City €10 million ($11.3 million at the time) for not cooperating with investigators. The club’s “blatant disregard” should be “condemned in the strongest possible terms,” said the court’s judges.
City have grown into an English football powerhouse since being bought in September 2008 by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.
Under his Abu Dhabi ownership, City – previously living in the shadow of neighbor Manchester United – have won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and six English League Cups.
The team are second in the Premier League at the middle of this season, five points behind Arsenal after playing a game more.
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AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this story.
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