Manchester City have responded strongly to the Premier League commission’s financial ruling, insisting they are innocent and promising to challenge the decision through every available legal and regulatory route.
Man City hit back after historic Premier League ruling with powerful legal warning
Manchester City have issued a powerful response after the Premier League published the independent commission’s historic findings against the club.
Reports say City were found guilty on 114 of the original 115 charges connected to the long-running financial case.
But the club immediately rejected the findings.
City insist they are innocent and have confirmed plans to challenge the decision through the appeal process.
Man City declare themselves innocent
City said they were:
“Disappointed and surprised.”
The club then made its position even clearer by stating that it believes it is innocent of the Premier League’s accusations.
City also say they have strong evidence supporting their case.
For the club, the publication of the findings is not the end of the legal battle.
City promise to fight relentlessly
One of the strongest parts of the statement concerned what happens next.
The club said it would be:
“Relentless.”
City also promised to use all appropriate legal and regulatory routes available to them.
The message is clear. Manchester City have no intention of accepting the ruling without a fight.
City call the ruling “unsafe”
Manchester City also directly challenged the commission’s findings.
The club said the opinion contained serious errors involving:
Law
Principle
Fact
City then described the decision as:
“Unsafe.”
The club believes the findings should not be allowed to stand in their current form.
City question the process
City also referred to the way the case has been handled.
The club said it had respected due process for eight years because it expected the Premier League to act independently, fairly and without outside influence.
That language suggests City are challenging both the findings and parts of the process behind them.
Ferran Soriano sends strong message
Chief executive Ferran Soriano has also strongly defended the club.
He rejects the central claim that money from City’s ownership was secretly passed through sponsors to increase commercial revenue.
City maintain that the Premier League’s case is based on a false understanding of how those commercial agreements worked.
That argument is expected to become a major part of the appeal.
Premier League findings remain serious
Despite City’s response, the commission’s conclusions are extremely serious.
The case covers financial reporting across nine seasons between 2009/10 and 2017/18.
Some commercial agreements were described as:
“Sham” contracts.
Reuters reported that the financial mechanisms examined had an impact of more than:
£900 MILLION
The commission concluded that some arrangements increased reported revenue or reduced reported costs, creating a misleading picture of City’s finances.
Manchester City strongly reject those conclusions.
No punishment has been decided yet
There is one important clarification.
Manchester City have NOT yet received their final punishment.
The sanctions process is being handled separately from the findings.
Possible punishments could include:
A major financial penalty
A points deduction
Other serious sporting sanctions
There is currently no confirmed points deduction and no official relegation decision.
Appeal could extend the case
City’s decision to challenge the findings means the legal battle could continue for some time.
The appeal will examine both the commission’s conclusions and the legal arguments behind them.
That means the final outcome may still be delayed even after a punishment is announced.
City prepare for another major battle
Manchester City’s position is now clear.
They reject the commission’s findings.
They maintain their innocence.
They believe the ruling contains serious errors.
And they intend to fight through every available legal and regulatory route.
The Premier League has delivered one of the biggest rulings in English football history, but City have made it clear that the case is far from over.
The next major stage will be the appeal and the final decision over punishment.
