The seriousness of the accusation has forced it to be made public. The Premier League (EPL), in accordance with the provisions of its regulations, has revealed this Monday, in a concise public statement, that it has denounced Manchester City before an independent commission of investigation for alleged breach of the league funding rules for nine consecutive seasons (2009/10 to 2017/18). The sum of alleged offenses exceeds one hundred, and could constitute, if the investigation finally concludes in conviction, the largest breach of the rules carried out by a club throughout the history of English competition. The final sanction can range from expulsion from the league, to suspension or withdrawal of points.
The organization has detailed the list of offenses that constitute its accusation. Specifically, it points out that during all this time, City would not have “provided, in good faith, accurate financial information that provides a true and balanced view of the club’s financial position, specifically with respect to its income (including income by sponsorship), their participations and their operating costs.
The Premier also points out that the club will not have required reliable information on the remuneration and contract of its coach, in the course of the 2009/10 and 2012/13 seasons. During that time, the team was led by Roberto Mancini. Pep Guardiola joined in 2016. Regarding the six seasons that span from 2010/11 to 2015/16, the accusations against the City management focus on remuneration and player contracts. Finally, regarding the period between 2013/14 and 2017/18, the Premier points out infringements by the club regarding the regulations of Financial fair play (Financial Fair Play) imposed by UEFA. Manchester City has belonged to the Abu Dhabi United Group since 2008. Since then, the value of its squad exceeds 1,100 million euros.
“Manchester City is surprised at this allegation of an alleged breach of the Premier League Rules, especially considering the degree of collaboration and the enormous amount of detailed material that has been contributed to the EPL,” the club said. in a statement reacting to the news. “We welcome the decision that the matter will be submitted to an independent commission, so that it can take into consideration the full body of irrefutable evidence that exists, and that supports our position,” Manchester City officials have assured.
The commission that carries out the investigation is independent, according to the Premier’s own regulations, and is made up of three experts. They are appointed by the Chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel, and their sessions and processes are confidential and private.
The ‘Football Leaks’
The suspicions surrounding Manchester City, which led to the opening of an investigation, arose in December 2018, from the exclusive published on its digital platform by the German weekly Der Spiegelfrom the famous football leaks (Football Leaks) launched by Portuguese hacker Rui Pinto.
Among the suspicions that arose then were that the club had exaggerated its income, probably derived from sponsorships, when in fact much of the money obtained came directly from the pockets of the Abu Dhabi owners. It was further noted that Mancini’s salary had nearly doubled, through a secret contract with a club in the United Arab Emirates capital. And, finally, City was accused of having broken several of the rules regarding the recruitment and hiring of young players.
In 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport already revoked a sanction that kept the club away from European competition for two years and sanctioned it with 30 million euros, after UEFA detected “serious infringements” by City regarding the rules of ” financial fair play”. The Court reduced the penalty to 10 million euros, and said that “some of the infractions, either had not been proven, or they had prescribed.”
The Premier League, however, which undertook its own investigation, did not have the same time constraints when investigating past offenses.
A large part of the English clubs that promoted these investigations into Manchester City’s activities are now demanding a prompt resolution of the matter, if possible before the end of the current season. The investigative commission, however, is not obliged to resolve within a specific period. As relevant as his opinion may be the reaction of the current coach of the club. Guardiola once backed the board against a two-year ban imposed by UEFA, but last May he made it clear that he would resign if he found out that the board had lied to him about his finances. “I want to represent a club that does things correctly. It’s not just about winning the Champions League or the Premier League. We want to do things well, for our people and for our fans”, Guardiola said then.
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