Man City found guilty on 114 of 115 charges, lodge appeal on 1 October

📰 Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of 115 charges – and lodged an appeal on 1 October. 📌 Key points ⚖️ An independent commission upheld 114 of the 115 charges on 29 September. 🗓️ The breaches cover the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons. 💰 It found revenue was inflated by around £830m through sham sponsorships. 📨 City formally lodged their appeal on the evening of 1 October. ⏳ Sanctions will only be decided once the appeal process ends. 📝 What happened 🏛️ On 29 September the Premier League's independent commission ruled that City broke the league's financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18. It upheld every charge except one relating to co-operation. The investigation began in 2018, charges were issued in February 2023 and a 42-day hearing finished in December 2024. 💼 The commission found that City used "sham" contracts with commercial partners to dress up owner funding as sponsorship income. According to Sky Sports, the revenue inflated this way came to around £830m. Off-book payments to players and staff and a failure to co-operate with the league's investigation were also part of the case. 📨 City submitted their appeal at 7pm on 1 October. The club said the ruling contains "clear material errors of law, principle and fact" and is unsafe, and repeated that it is innocent and holds a comprehensive body of evidence supporting its position. 🧾 City are expected to argue on appeal that the sponsorship money came from the Abu Dhabi government rather than from Sheikh Mansour or his ownership vehicle. 📊 By the numbers • 114 of 115 charges upheld • Around £830m of inflated revenue (Sky Sports) • Nine seasons covered (2009-10 to 2017-18) • Appeal hearing within 12 weeks; decision within 30 days of the hearing 🔭 Why it matters Possible sanctions range from a fine to a points deduction or even relegation, but nothing has been set yet. Sky Sports expects the three-person appeal board to reach a decision between December and late January 2027, and a challenge to the new fast-track rules could push it further into 2027. Whatever the outcome, it could reshape this season's title race and the table as a whole.