Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty on 114 of the 115 Premier League charges, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic. The club was found to have breached financial regulations on all but one of the charges, with sanctions yet to be decided.
City are expected to appeal the reported verdict.
The Premier League has not publicly confirmed the outcome. Ornstein’s report is based on his sources, while a club spokesperson said the League’s process “remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.”
The spokesperson added that the City’s position remains unchanged from the statement it issued when the charges were first filed. That original statement dates back to February 2023, when the Premier League referred City to an independent commission following a four-year investigation.
The League alleged that City had failed to provide accurate financial information giving a true and fair view of the club’s financial position, including revenue, sponsorship income, and operating costs across nine seasons. City has denied all the charges.
What Do the 115 Manchester City Charges Allegedly Cover?
Manchester City’s 115 charges span the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons and cover several areas, including inaccurate financial reporting, undisclosed payments to players and managers, and breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
Breaches of UEFA’s financial regulations, and charges for failing to cooperate with the League’s investigation.
The 115-charge figure has often been misunderstood as 115 separate alleged breaches. Ornstein has previously explained that some charges relate to the same alleged offence being counted for each season in which it occurred.
This increases the total number of charges without necessarily representing 115 different allegations. City have disputed the substance of the charges themselves. The case is separate from Manchester City’s 2020 dispute with UEFA.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a two-year Champions League ban and reduced a €30 million fine to €10 million, ruling that most of the alleged breaches were either unproven or outside UEFA’s time limit.
It is also separate from the more recent Associated Party Transaction case, in which an arbitration panel ruled in 2025 that parts of the Premier League’s former sponsorship rules were unlawful. Both City and the League described that outcome as a win.
That case and the UEFA dispute are resolved. The current case has reportedly produced a liability finding, but no punishment has been decided.
Why Did the Manchester City 115 Charges Verdict Take So Long?
The independent commission’s hearing lasted roughly 12 weeks at London’s International Dispute Resolution Centre, opening in September 2024 and closing in December. Almost two years passed between the end of the hearing and Friday’s reported verdict.
Sports lawyers have attributed the delay largely to the scale of the case and the volume of financial evidence under review. If the reported verdict stands, City’s punishment would be considered alongside the Premier League’s previous financial sanctions.
Everton were initially docked 10 points in 2023 after an independent commission found the club had breached the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules. That was reduced to six points on appeal, before Everton were deducted a further two points the following year for a second breach.
What Happens Next After the Manchester City 115 Charges Verdict?
Both Manchester City and the Premier League reportedly have 14 days to lodge an appeal, which would send the case to a three-person Appeal Board.
City have stated their intention to challenge the outcome, meaning the case could continue through another stage of the process. Until a sanction is decided, reports about possible punishments, including points deductions or expulsion, remain speculative.
No ruling body has confirmed any of those penalties.
