Manchester City Charged With Dozens of Financial Violations

In a statement published on its website, Manchester City responded to the charges by saying it was “surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches.” The team contended it had cooperated with the Premier League’s investigators, had turned over a “vast amount of detailed materials,” and that it welcomed an independent review of what it labeled this “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” that it said supported the club’s position.

It is unclear what penalties Manchester City could face if the league’s accusations are upheld. According to Premier League rules, teams that are found to have been in breach of its rules face sanctions that could include reprimands, fines, points deductions in the standings or even expulsion from the top division.

The charges date back as far as 2009 — a year after Manchester City was purchased by the brother of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and began a turbocharged era of both spending and success.

Under the stewardship of its Gulf owner, Manchester City has been transformed into one of the most successful and free-spending teams in world soccer, a serial English champion and a regular contender for the world’s best players and Europe’s biggest trophies.

Throughout that period, there has been suspicion about Manchester City’s financial dealings, and its willingness to abide by the cost-control and financial regulations of not only the Premier League but also European soccer’s governing body, UEFA. In 2020, UEFA banned Manchester City from its top competition, the Champions League, for two years for financial rules violations, though the club appealed the decision and had the ban overturned.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/06/sports/soccer/manchester-city-premier-league-financial-charges.html