FA says Manchester City guilty verdict threatens integrity of English football
The FA warns the commission’s guilty finding on Manchester City’s financial breaches has far‑reaching consequences for the sport’s governance, as the club prepares a formal appeal.
What happened
The independent commission concluded that Manchester City breached Premier League financial rules between the 2009‑10 and 2017‑18 seasons, using what it described as a “Disguised Funding Scheme” and “sham contracts” to inflate revenue by more than £900 million. The 40‑page core judgment, released on Tuesday, redacted the names of individuals involved but confirmed “well over 100 individual breaches” across the period.
Who is involved
- Manchester City – the Premier League club found guilty of the breaches.
- Football Association (FA) – England’s governing body, issuing a statement on the ruling’s wider impact.
- Premier League – the competition whose financial regulations were breached and which will oversee the appeal process.
- Independent Commission – the body that investigated the club and delivered the verdict after a 42‑hearing hearing.
- Treasury Committee chair Meg Hillier – who wrote to HMRC after the ruling.
- HMRC Permanent Secretary JP Marks – recipient of Hillier’s letter.
What the FA said
In its first comment since the verdict, the FA said the decision “has significant implications for the integrity of the game”. The statement added that the FA is “carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate”. It also reminded that it has powers to sanction both clubs and individuals if wrongdoing is proven, noting that similar powers were exercised in the 2024 Chelsea case.
What’s next
Manchester City have signalled an intention to lodge an appeal by Friday, citing “irrefutable evidence” that the Abu Dhabi government, not the club’s owners, funded the disputed sponsorship deals. Under the Premier League’s fast‑track appeal rules, a hearing must occur within 12 weeks of the appeal and a decision rendered within 30 days of the hearing’s conclusion. The FA said it will wait until the appeal process is finished – expected by the end of January according to the Premier League rulebook – before deciding on any disciplinary measures.
Key numbers
- £900 million – the estimated amount of revenue inflating breaches (Independent Commission).
- 42 hearings – the number of sessions the commission held before delivering its judgment (Independent Commission).
- >100 breaches – the count of individual rule violations identified (Independent Commission).
- Friday deadline – the club’s target date to submit its appeal (FA/Club statement).
- End‑January – the latest date the FA expects the appeal to be resolved (FA statement).
- 12‑week hearing window, 30‑day decision rule – the Premier League’s fast‑track appeal timeline (Premier League rulebook).
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Financial breach amount | £900 million | Independent Commission |
| Number of hearings | 42 | Independent Commission |
| Individual breaches identified | over 100 | Independent Commission |
| Appeal filing deadline | Friday (date not specified) | FA/Manchester City statement |
| Expected appeal resolution | by end of January | FA statement |
| Fast‑track appeal timeline | 12 weeks to hearing, 30 days to decision | Premier League rulebook |
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | club found guilty of financial breaches |
| Football Association | governing body issuing statement on integrity |
