Man City’s 115 FFP Charges: The Ongoing Case With Seemingly No End in Sight
Manchester City’s transformation from Premier League underachievers to one of the most dominant forces in world soccer—and champions of Europe—has not come without controversy.
In February 2023, the club, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi’s royal family, was hit with 115 charges by the Premier League for alleged financial rule breaches, along with accusations of failing to fully cooperate with the investigation.
City have strongly denied all allegations.
As things stand, the case remains unresolved, continuing to spark debate among fans—particularly in light of the club’s ongoing success in English soccer.
So what
Here’s the charges against Manchester City, the background to the case, where things stand and the potential consequences the club face—whenever a decision is finally made—if they are found guilty.
What Are the 115 Charges Against Man City?
After a four-year investigation, Manchester City were formally charged in February 2023 with 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules—though depending on how the case is categorized, that number has been reported as high as 134.
At a broad level, the league accuses the club of violating Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) by allegedly disguising owner funding as sponsorship revenue, as well as failing to fully disclose certain payments made to players and managers.
These regulations are intended to ensure clubs operate within their means, limiting spending to what they legitimately generate in revenue in order to maintain competitive balance and financial stability.
The alleged violations are said to have occurred between 2009 and 2018, a period during which City won three Premier League titles.
Man City FFP Charges: Latest Updates
Pep Guardiola took charge of City in 2016. / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
The in-person hearing into Manchester City’s case—conducted privately by an independent commission—began on Sep. 16, 2024, and concluded on Dec. 6 after nearly three months of proceedings.
Since then, the three-member panel has been deliberating on its verdict and there has been no official update.
The Premier League has declined to comment publicly, maintaining its long-standing silence on the case. City, meanwhile, have welcomed the process and insist there is a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” supporting their position.
When Will There Be a Decision on Man City’s Charges?
The lack of clarity around a timeline has fueled widespread speculation. Some theories suggest delays are due to the complexity of the case, with the panel carefully reviewing large volumes of evidence to ensure a robust and legally sound ruling. Others point to more practical factors, such as the part-time nature of the commission members.
Notably, the Premier League does not operate under a strict deadline for resolving such matters, which is why it has been able to pursue charges dating as far back as 2009.
City manager Pep Guardiola said in February 2025 that a decision could arrive within “one month,” but that timeframe passed without any announcement.
Premier League chief Richard Masters has also refused to be drawn on the situation, stating at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit in London in February 2026, per BBC Sport: “I simply can’t comment. Having spent three years not commenting, I’m not going to start now. More broadly, any regulator wants its judicial system to be efficient and work quickly—that’s as far as I can go.”
Man City Charges: Possible Punishments
At worst, Man City could face expulsion from the Premier League. / Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
Under Premier League rules, a range of sanctions could be imposed if Manchester City are found guilty, including fines, points deductions or, in extreme cases, expulsion from the league.
Recent examples offer some context: Everton and Nottingham Forest were handed points deductions of two and four points respectively for financial breaches—though those cases were far less severe in scale.
Soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire has suggested City could face a far harsher penalty if the most serious allegations are proven, potentially in the region of a 40- to 60-point deduction. However, automatic relegation is unlikely under the current framework.
“The Premier League cannot relegate Manchester City to League One or League Two because that is an EFL decision,” Maguire said on The Overlap. “Therefore, it has to be a points deduction.”
He added: “The numbers involved are likely to be significant. If you look at previous cases, you’d probably have to add a zero—so somewhere between a 40- and 60-point deduction would be consistent.”
Could Man City Appeal?
Once a verdict is reached, both Manchester City and the Premier League have 14 days to appeal.
Any appeal would be heard by a newly appointed three-person panel, selected by Murray Rosen KC, chair of the Premier League’s judicial panel.
An appeal would delay any punishment being enforced. However, the final decision would be binding, with no option for either side to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
