Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has rejected guilty verdicts against the club for breaching financial rules, calling them a 'Premier League conspiracy theory' and vowing to appeal.
Key facts
- An independent panel found Manchester City guilty on more than 100 charges.
- The panel concluded City artificially inflated revenue and reduced costs by more than £900m over nine years.
- The breaches involved 'sham' sponsorship deals mainly funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG).
- CEO Ferran Soriano said the case is based on 'a single false accusation' and a 'Premier League conspiracy theory'.
- The club has said it will appeal and continue to fight the case.
Manchester City’s chief executive, Ferran Soriano, has dismissed guilty verdicts against the club for breaching financial rules, describing them as based on ‘a single false accusation’ and a ‘Premier League conspiracy theory’, according to the Guardian.
It was confirmed on Tuesday that an independent panel found the club had artificially inflated revenue and reduced costs by more than £900m over a nine-year period. The panel said this was achieved through ‘sham’ sponsorship deals.
According to the Guardian, those deals were mainly funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The verdict covered more than 100 charges. In a video sent to City staff after the guilty findings were confirmed, Soriano said the club would appeal and fight the case.
Soriano maintained the club’s innocence throughout his message, framing the outcome as resting on a single disputed accusation rather than the broad set of charges the panel upheld.
The Guardian reported that the club intends to challenge the ruling through an appeal, though further details of the process were not provided in the available reporting.
Why it matters
The verdict against one of English football's most successful clubs carries significant implications for how financial rules are enforced in the Premier League. With Manchester City signalling an appeal, the dispute could shape governance and competitive balance in the sport for years.
Frequently asked questions
What was Manchester City found guilty of?
According to the Guardian, an independent panel found the club guilty on more than 100 charges, concluding it had artificially inflated revenue and reduced costs by more than £900m over nine years through 'sham' sponsorship deals.
How has Manchester City responded?
CEO Ferran Soriano maintained the club's innocence, called the case 'a single false accusation' and a 'Premier League conspiracy theory', and said in a video to staff that the club would appeal and fight the case.
Who funded the disputed sponsorship deals?
The Guardian reported that the deals were mainly funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.