Full breakdown of Man City’s 115 financial breach charges ahead of trial starting on Monday

According to ESPN, Manchester City’s trial is expected to begin on Monday, September 16, with 115 charges filed over alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules.

The independent hearing is expected to last about two months, but reports suggest the verdict will not be made public until spring 2025.

City have been accused of financial irregularities spanning nine years from 2009 and the most severe punishment if found guilty is relegation. Points deductions and fines are also possible punishments.

It was initially suggested that the trial would take place later in the year, but both Manchester City and the Premier League attempted to bring the trial forward, eventually resulting in mid-September.

In preparation for the unprecedented court case that will shake England’s top flight and could see the four-in-a-row Premier League champions relegated to the Championship, Mail Sport has listed the 115 charges against Pep Guardiola’s team.

Manchester City faces 115 charges for breaching FFP rules and regulations

The city has already been investigated for its practices from 2019 to 2023, with them having to pay a fine of £8.6 million over the findings

According to reports, the trial is expected to begin on Monday, September 16

Manchester City 115 FFP costs

Manchester City have been charged with a staggering 115 breaches of FFP rules over a nine-year period.

The period runs back to 2009 through to 2018. The full list of 115 charges was revealed in a statement from the Premier League in February 2023.

All of the charges against Manchester City are serious and if they are proven to have breached all or part of the charges then serious consequences could be expected.

The charges against the club are being investigated, assessed and analysed by an independent commission.

Costs explained

Of the 115 charges, 54 are against City, namely failing to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information to the league covering the period 2009-10 to 2017-18.

This gives the FFP a ‘true and fair’ picture of a club’s income, including sponsorship deals, and operational costs, including player salaries.

Every club in the Premier League signs a code of conduct. This means that clubs must behave and provide the league with accurate and up-to-date reports. These reports are audited annually.

In recent years, City have been accused of inflating the value of their sponsorships, which are linked to their owners.

They also face 14 charges of failing to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager remuneration for those seasons.

The Manchester club also faces 35 charges for failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to the present.

All 115 charges against City were first reported by German media Der Spiegel.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (pictured second from left) with club owner Sheikh Mansour (pictured right)

The charge includes failing to be honest about the compensation offered to previous managers and players after they left the club.

Timeline of the 115 charges that came to light

• November 2018: German media, Der Spiegel, publishes several articles accusing Manchester City of violating FFP rules
• March 2019: UEFA launches formal investigation following Der Spiegel publications
• May 2019: Manchester City criticises investigation and launches appeal
• November 2018: CAS grants Manchester City appeal after UEFA failed to show decisiveness
• February 2020: UEFA announces Manchester City will be banned from all European competitions for two years and fined £28.6 million
• July 2020: Manchester City appeal suspension, see it lifted – only have to pay £8.9m fine
• February 2023: Premier League accuses Manchester City of over 115 breaches of FFP rules and regulations
• Fall 2024: Manchester City’s FFP trial starts mid-September
• Spring/Summer 2025: A verdict is expected on the 115 charges against Manchester City

A verdict on the 115 charges against Manchester City is not expected until spring/summer 2025

Trial and possible punishments

The trial between Manchester City and the Premier League is expected to begin in September 2024.

The trial will take place behind closed doors as Premier League rules regarding FFP breaches stipulate that any decision by an independent commission will take place behind closed doors and is strictly confidential.

Because the trial is taking place behind closed doors, the media will not know anything about the case until the Premier League has made a final ruling.

Therefore, the media will be informed of the verdict at the same time as everyone else.

In terms of penalties, current legislation provides for eight possible penalties for a club that breaches the FFP rules.

As with any form of punishment, some punishments are much more severe than others. One punishment is essentially a reprimand, while others are detrimental to the future of the club.

Both City and the Premier League have the opportunity to appeal any ruling, but not to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the body that overturned City’s UEFA ban in 2020.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters (pictured) has played a central role in the case

If any of the FFP rules are found to have been violated, the city could face one of eight possible penalties

Eight FFP penalties:

• A formal warning
• Fines (amount depends on the severity of the violation)
• Points deduction (amount depends on the severity of the violation)
• Refusal of income from UEFA competitions
• Clubs banned from registering new players for their squads for UEFA competitions
• A limit on the number of players that can be registered in a club’s squad for UEFA competitions
• Disqualification from an ongoing UEFA competition
• Exclusion from future UEFA competitions

Guardiola pictured with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak (left) after last season’s title win

Manchester City file separate lawsuit against Premier League

The city, which declined to comment, denies wrongdoing and a separate lawsuit filed against the Premier League

According to The Times, Etihad wants to end the competition’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, which it claims are unlawful.

The rules, introduced in December 2021, are designed to maintain competitiveness by preventing top clubs from making commercial deals with companies linked to their owners.

However, in a 165-page legal document, City claim the rules were approved by rivals to stifle their success on the pitch as a ‘tyranny of the majority’.

The club has accused rivals of “discriminating against Gulf owners” after the rules were introduced shortly after Newcastle United’s takeover by Saudi Arabia.

Rival clubs argue that City’s appeal could destroy the competitiveness of England’s top flight, as it would allow wealthy clubs to spend unlimited money on player pools and infrastructure.

If the league champion’s hearing is successful, the league’s wealthiest clubs will be able to determine the value of sponsorship deals without the need for an independent assessment.