Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against the club by the Premier League, marking the most significant development yet in one of English football’s longest-running regulatory cases.
According to reports published on Friday 25 September 2026, an independent commission has reached findings against Manchester City on all but one of the charges relating to alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations.
However, the process is not yet complete. No sanction has been announced, the Premier League has not published the commission’s full written decision, and Manchester City are expected to appeal.
Manchester City charges: the quick breakdown
- 115 charges: The total number of alleged Premier League rule breaches brought against Manchester City in February 2023.
- 114 reportedly upheld: Reports on 25 September 2026 say the independent commission found City guilty on all but one of the charges.
- No sanction yet: A punishment has not been decided or announced.
- City expected to appeal: The disciplinary process could therefore continue.
- No published decision yet: The Premier League has not released the commission’s full written findings.
- City’s position: Manchester City maintain that the Premier League process remains ongoing and have consistently denied wrongdoing.
What has actually happened?
Manchester City were referred to an independent commission by the Premier League in February 2023 following an investigation that began several years earlier.
The allegations covered several areas of the Premier League’s financial regulations. The principal allegations concerning City’s financial reporting relate to the period between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, while additional charges concerned the club’s cooperation with the Premier League’s investigation.
The 115 charges have commonly been divided into five categories:
- 54 charges concerning the provision of accurate financial information.
- 14 charges concerning details of player and manager remuneration.
- 5 charges relating to compliance with UEFA financial regulations.
- 7 charges concerning the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations.
- 35 charges concerning cooperation with the Premier League’s investigation.
The independent hearing began on 16 September 2024 and concluded on 6 December 2024 after almost three months.
A decision had subsequently been awaited for more than 20 months.
On 25 September 2026, reports emerged that the independent commission had found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges.
Has Manchester City officially been found guilty?
This is where the wording matters.
According to reporting initially published by The Athletic, and subsequently reported by organisations including Reuters, sources briefed on the case say the independent commission has found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges.
However, the Premier League has not yet published the commission’s complete written decision.
The Premier League declined to comment on the reports, citing the confidentiality of the process.
Manchester City have also stressed that proceedings have not yet concluded. The club said:
“The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.”
City said their position remains consistent with the statement they issued when the charges were announced in February 2023.
At that time, the club said it welcomed consideration of the case by an independent commission and referred to what it described as a comprehensive body of evidence supporting its position.
For now, therefore, the most accurate description is that Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty on 114 charges by the independent commission, but the disciplinary process has not been completed and the detailed written ruling has not been published.
What happens to Manchester City now?
The next major question concerns sanctions.
At the time of writing, no punishment has been determined or announced publicly.
Premier League disciplinary commissions have significant powers when dealing with breaches of league rules, and possible sanctions can include financial penalties, points deductions and other sporting measures.
However, discussion about relegation, retrospective points deductions, removal of titles or other specific punishments remains speculative unless and until a sanction is formally determined.
The details of the commission’s findings are also important.
A headline figure of 114 guilty findings does not, by itself, explain the seriousness of each individual breach, the evidence accepted by the commission or how the panel assessed the different categories of allegations.
The written judgment will therefore be crucial to understanding both the findings and the eventual sanction.
Can Manchester City appeal?
Manchester City are expected to appeal the findings.
That means the reported decision should not necessarily be viewed as the final stage of the case.
An appeal would create another phase of proceedings and could potentially challenge parts of the commission’s findings, any sanction imposed, or both.
This is another reason why the distinction between a reported commission decision and the final outcome of the disciplinary process is important.
What were Manchester City accused of?
The case involves considerably more than the Premier League’s current spending rules.
Among the allegations brought by the Premier League were claims that Manchester City failed to provide accurate financial information giving a true and fair view of the club’s financial position.
The league’s original statement referred specifically to information concerning revenue, including sponsorship revenue, related parties and operating costs.
Other charges concerned the disclosure of payments to managers and players, compliance with UEFA’s financial regulations, Premier League profitability and sustainability rules, and the club’s cooperation with the league’s investigation.
Manchester City have consistently denied wrongdoing.
Is this the same as Manchester City’s previous UEFA case?
No.
The current case is a Premier League disciplinary process and should not be confused with Manchester City’s previous dispute with UEFA.
In 2020, UEFA imposed a two-season exclusion from European competition and a €30 million fine on Manchester City over alleged breaches of its financial regulations.
City appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
CAS subsequently overturned the European ban. The panel concluded that some of UEFA’s allegations concerning disguised equity funding had either not been established or were time-barred.
CAS did, however, find that Manchester City had failed to cooperate with UEFA’s investigation and imposed a reduced €10 million fine.
The Premier League proceedings involve different rules, charges and disciplinary mechanisms, meaning the two cases should not be treated as the same legal process.
Why has the Manchester City case taken so long?
The scale of the case is unusual.
The Premier League formally charged Manchester City in February 2023, but the underlying investigation had begun years earlier.
The independent hearing itself lasted almost three months, beginning in September 2024 and concluding in December of that year.
The commission then had to consider a large volume of evidence and numerous individual alleged breaches covering several seasons.
Because the proceedings have been conducted confidentially, relatively little information about the commission’s deliberations has entered the public domain.
The reported findings on 25 September 2026 therefore represent the biggest development in the case since the hearing concluded.
Why does the case matter beyond Manchester City?
The significance of the case extends beyond one football club.
Financial regulations form part of the rules under which Premier League clubs compete against each other. The ability of the league to investigate alleged breaches, establish whether its rules have been broken and impose appropriate sanctions is therefore a wider question of sporting governance.
The Manchester City proceedings have consequently become an important test of the Premier League’s regulatory system.
They also come after other Premier League clubs have received sporting sanctions for breaches of financial regulations, although those cases involved different rules, circumstances and allegations and should not be treated as directly equivalent to City’s case.
Whatever the final outcome, the commission’s eventual published reasoning is likely to be closely examined by clubs, lawyers, football executives and supporters.
What we still do not know
Despite the significance of the reported verdict, some of the most important questions remain unanswered.
We do not yet know which of the 115 charges Manchester City were reportedly cleared of.
We also do not have the commission’s detailed reasoning explaining how it assessed the evidence relating to each charge.
Most importantly, we do not yet know what sanction Manchester City will receive.
There is also the expected appeal process to consider.
Until those stages are completed, claims about relegation, points deductions, titles being removed or other specific punishments should be treated as possibilities rather than established outcomes.
For now, the case has moved into a new phase. The central question is no longer simply whether the Premier League can establish breaches. Attention will now turn to the full findings, the sanction and Manchester City’s expected appeal.
Manchester City 115 charges: Frequently Asked Questions
How many of Manchester City’s 115 charges have they been found guilty of?
Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League. The figure was reported on 25 September 2026 based on sources briefed on the independent commission’s findings. The Premier League has not yet published the complete written decision.
Has the Premier League officially announced Manchester City’s verdict?
No. At the time of writing, the Premier League has not published the commission’s full decision and has declined to comment publicly because the proceedings are confidential. Manchester City have said that the Premier League process remains ongoing.
What are the 115 charges against Manchester City?
The charges cover several categories of alleged rule breaches. They include 54 charges relating to accurate financial information, 14 concerning player and manager remuneration, five relating to UEFA financial rules, seven concerning Premier League profitability and sustainability rules, and 35 concerning cooperation with the Premier League investigation.
What punishment will Manchester City receive?
No sanction has yet been announced. Potential disciplinary measures can include financial penalties, points deductions and other sporting sanctions, but it is not currently known what punishment will be imposed in this case.
Could Manchester City be relegated?
No decision on relegation or any other specific sporting sanction has been announced. Various possible punishments have been discussed publicly, but claims that Manchester City will definitely be relegated are currently speculation.
Could Manchester City’s Premier League titles be taken away?
There has been considerable discussion about whether historical titles or results could be affected, but no such sanction has been announced. Until the commission’s decision and sanction are published, it would be premature to state that any of Manchester City’s previous titles will be removed.
Will Manchester City appeal?
Manchester City are expected to appeal. The club has consistently denied wrongdoing and maintains that the Premier League process remains ongoing.
When were Manchester City charged by the Premier League?
The Premier League announced the charges and referred Manchester City to an independent commission on 6 February 2023. The hearing began in September 2024 and concluded in December 2024.
Is the Premier League case the same as Manchester City’s UEFA case?
No. Manchester City’s previous UEFA case involved UEFA’s financial regulations and resulted in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020. The current proceedings concern alleged breaches of Premier League rules and are a separate disciplinary process.
Sources
- Reuters: Manchester City found guilty on all but one of 115 charges, reports say
- Reuters: Timeline of Manchester City’s Premier League financial charges and reported verdict
- Premier League: February 2023 statement referring Manchester City to an independent commission
- Manchester City FC: Club statement responding to the Premier League charges
- Court of Arbitration for Sport: Manchester City FC v UEFA decision
This article reflects information available as of 25 September 2026.