Manchester City could be awarded points or even expelled from the Premier League if more than 100 alleged rule violations announced on Monday are found proven.
The Premier League has released a statement on its website announcing that the club – which has won the league six times since 2011 – has been referred to an independent commission over a series of alleged breaches of rules relating to the club’s finances .
The alleged breaches related to the reporting of accurate financial information, the submission of details of the manager’s and player’s remuneration information within the relevant contracts, the responsibility of a club as a member of the Premier League to adhere to Financial Fair Play rules of UEFA and the competition’s own profitability and sustainability. regulations.
The club is also said to have broken rules requiring them to cooperate and assist with the Premier League’s investigation into those breaches, which the league says began in December 2018.
Manchester City issued a statement expressing surprise at the announcement of the alleged rule violations, referring to “extensive engagement” with the Premier League on the matter. The club also said they had “irrefutable evidence” to support their position.
Premier League Rule W.51 deals with the sanctioning powers available to committees if alleged breaches of league rules are found proven.
These range from a reprimand, through points deduction, to a recommendation to the league to expel a club from the league.
The commission has the power to make such sanctions conditional on certain action being taken within a specified period of time, and defendants have the right to appeal.
City’s statement said: “Manchester City FC are surprised by the publication of these alleged breaches of Premier League rules, particularly given the extensive involvement and huge amount of detailed material the EPL has been given.
“The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent committee to impartially consider the extensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
“We therefore look forward to this matter being settled once and for all.”
The club’s managing director Ferran Soriano is said to have only been made aware of the reference for alleged infringements by his Premier League counterpart Richard Masters when the statement went live on the league’s website.
The club is also aware of the timing of the Premier League deploying its regulatory power in financial matters, as a government white paper – which will include plans for an independent regulator – is about to be published.
City have previously fought vigorously and denied allegations related to alleged breaches of UEFA FFP rules. They were found guilty of “serious breaches” of FFP rules by the jury room of UEFA’s financial control body in February 2020 and were given a two-year UEFA competition ban, but this sanction was overturned on appeal in July 2020 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. the same year.
The chairman of the Premier League’s independent legal panel is Murray Rosen KC, who was appointed in 2020. Rosen’s biography on his company’s website, 4 New Square Chambers, states that he is a member of City’s Premier League rivals Arsenal.
The chairman will select individuals to sit alongside him on a committee to investigate the alleged rule violations in this matter. The panel also has access to consult other independent financial and legal experts.
The alleged infringements cover a period from the 2009-2010 season to the 2017-2018 season.
The club was alleged to have breached competition rules requiring “in the utmost good faith” to provide “accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position”.
The league says the required accurate financial information covers “revenues (including sponsorship income), related parties and operating expenses”.
The second set of breaches on the list refers to alleged breaches of rules “requiring a member club to include full manager fee details in its relevant contracts with its manager” covering the 2009-10 through 2012- seasons. 13.
The club’s manager between December 2009 and May 2013 was current Italian boss Roberto Mancini.
The second set of alleged infringements also refers to the requirements for a club to include full details of player compensation in the relevant contracts, covering the 2010-11 through 2015-16 seasons.
The third part deals with alleged breaches of Premier League rules requiring clubs to comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play rules, between 2013-14 to 2017-18.
The fourth set of alleged breaches concerns Premier League profitability and sustainability rules in the 2015-16 to 2017-18 seasons.
Finally, from December 2018 to date, the club is said to have breached competition rules requiring member clubs to co-operate with and assist the Premier League in its investigations.
The Premier League statement concluded: “The proceedings before the Commission, in accordance with Premier League rule W.82, will be confidential and heard in private. Under Premier League Rule W.82.2, the final Commission price is published on the Premier League website.
“This confirmation is made in accordance with Premier League rule W.82.1. The Premier League will not comment further on this matter until further notice.”