Well, this is absolutely massive.
Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.
The news has been reported by The Athletic, with sources briefed on the independent commission’s decision saying City were found guilty on all but one of the charges. The sanctions have not yet been decided and Manchester City are expected to appeal.
So, after years of waiting, we finally have a major development in the Premier League’s extraordinary case against City.
But there is still a very long way to go.
114 Out Of 115
Just let that sink in.
114 out of 115 charges.
The case dates back to alleged breaches covering the period from 2009 to 2018, with the Premier League referring City to an independent commission in 2023 following its lengthy investigation.
The allegations covered a range of areas, including the provision of accurate financial information, player and manager remuneration, UEFA financial regulations, Premier League profitability and sustainability rules, and cooperation with the league’s investigation.
City have always denied wrongdoing.
The club previously said it had a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” supporting its position and welcomed the independent process.
Now the independent commission has reportedly reached its verdict.
And it has gone overwhelmingly against Manchester City.
But Nobody Knows The Punishment Yet
This is where Liverpool supporters need to be careful.
There has been no punishment announced.
The commission’s sanctions are still to be determined, and City are expected to appeal the verdict.
The Premier League’s disciplinary process allows for a range of possible sanctions, including fines, points deductions and other sporting sanctions. An appeal can also challenge a commission decision.
So I’m certainly not going to sit here and pretend we already know what is going to happen.
We don’t.
There is a massive legal and regulatory process still to come.
But that doesn’t change the significance of today’s development.
Liverpool Fans Will Obviously Be Thinking About The Titles
Let’s be honest.
This is where the conversation is inevitably going to go.
Liverpool have spent years competing against Manchester City for the biggest prizes in English football.
We’ve watched City win Premier League titles while Liverpool have finished runners-up.
We’ve watched Pep Guardiola’s team dominate English football.
We’ve watched Liverpool produce incredible seasons and still find themselves having to reach extraordinary points totals simply to compete.
And now an independent commission has reportedly found City guilty on virtually every charge brought against them.
Of course Liverpool supporters are going to wonder what this eventually means for the history of those years.
But that’s a question for another day.
The sanctions have not been decided.
The appeal process hasn’t happened.
So we have to wait.
This Is Bigger Than Liverpool
That’s probably the most important point.
Whatever you think about Manchester City, this case isn’t really about Liverpool.
It’s about the rules governing the Premier League and whether clubs have complied with them.
The allegations stretch across a huge period of English football.
City won multiple Premier League titles and major trophies during the period covered by the charges, meaning the eventual consequences could have enormous implications for the record books if sporting sanctions ultimately affect past achievements.
But again, nothing has been announced on that front.
We shouldn’t jump ahead.
The Timing Is Extraordinary
What makes this even more remarkable is how long everybody has been waiting.
The independent commission hearing concluded in December 2024 after a lengthy process.
Yet the verdict has taken until September 2026 to emerge publicly.
Even Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admitted recently that the case had taken longer than expected, while stressing that the independent process had to be allowed to run its course.
And now we finally have an answer on the charges themselves.
Guilty on virtually all of them.
That’s an extraordinary development.
What Happens Now?
That’s the million-pound question.
Or perhaps, given the size of this case, the billion-pound question.
Manchester City are expected to appeal.
The sanctions still need to be determined.
And until the appeal process has run its course, there is no point pretending we know exactly how this is going to end.
City have also responded by stressing that the Premier League process remains ongoing and that significant elements remain subject to confidentiality.
So this story isn’t finished.
Not even close.
But Today Is Still A Huge Moment
As a Liverpool supporter, I’ve watched this case hang over English football for years.
There have been endless arguments about it.
Endless speculation.
Endless waiting.
And now we’ve finally reached the point where an independent commission has reportedly ruled that Manchester City breached the Premier League’s financial regulations on 114 occasions out of 115 charges.
That’s not something that can simply be ignored.
What happens next is now down to the sanctions and the appeal.
And Liverpool fans, along with supporters of every other Premier League club, will be watching very closely.
Because whatever happens from here, today’s verdict is one of the biggest developments English football has seen in years.
And after all the waiting…
we finally have a verdict.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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