The Premier League will refer the case to an independent commission. “Commission members will be appointed by the independent chairman of the Premier League judicial panel. The investigation will be closed to the public and we will not comment further on it pending appeal,” said the management of the highest English competition.
“Citizens” face suspicions that between the 2013/14 and 2017/18 seasons they did not comply with the conditions of financial fair play of the Union of European Football Associations. UEFA has set rules to prevent the big clubs from spending too much and to partially balance their income and expenses. In addition, between 2015 and 2018, Manchester may also have breached the Premier League’s financial sustainability rules.
Allegations of murky accounting date back to the 2009/10 season, which was the first full year after the club was taken over by owners from the United Arab Emirates. Since then, thanks to big investments, Manchester City has won the English league six times and other trophies.
“We are surprised by the allegations made, particularly given the amount of information and detailed material we provide to the Premier League. We welcome the involvement of an independent commission and trust that this matter will soon be resolved once and for all,” Manchester City said in a statement on its website.
“Citizens” is not facing similar accusations for the first time. In 2020, they received a two-year ban from UEFA for participating in European cups due to financial fair play violations. However, the English team successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and got away “only” with a fine of 10 million euros.
If the allegations are confirmed, Manchester faces a financial penalty and punishment on the sports field. Juventus Turin lost 15 points in the Italian league for falsifying accounting. The club appealed to the highest sports court at the Italian Olympic Committee. Due to a possible violation of financial fair play, he is also being investigated by UEFA.
