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Man City Found Guilty of All Premier League Financial Charges — Club to Appeal

📅 October 1, 2026 · By Liberia Sports Live · AI-assisted match report · 👁 5

Bombshell Verdict Shakes English Football

In the biggest story to hit the Premier League in its history, Manchester City were found guilty this week of all charges related to serious breaches of the league's financial rules. The independent commission ruled that City had arranged what the Premier League called 'sham' contracts with commercial partners to artificially inflate revenues and cut costs by more than £900 million between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. The Premier League's CEO Richard Masters said the findings showed City 'systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade.' The verdict covers 114 charges and also found City guilty of the majority of charges relating to failing to cooperate with the investigation.

City responded by saying they are 'disappointed and surprised' by the ruling and have vowed to appeal. The club has until Friday, 2 October, to file that appeal. The club insists it has done nothing wrong and says it will be 'relentless' in its fight to clear its name. Sanctions — which could include massive points deductions, huge fines, or even expulsion from the Premier League — will be decided in a separate hearing. Rival clubs and football commentators are now watching closely to see what punishment follows.

Recent Results

On the pitch, City have been in fine form heading into the international break. Manager Enzo Maresca's side recorded five wins from five in September: a narrow 1-0 home win over Coventry City on 5 September with Erling Haaland scoring the only goal; a commanding 2-0 away win at Porto in the Champions League on 8 September; a 1-0 derby victory at Old Trafford against Manchester United on 13 September; a 5-0 thrashing of Norwich City in the Carabao Cup on 17 September; and a high-scoring 5-3 Premier League win over Sunderland on 20 September. City's next match is the Premier League trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on 11 October.

Injury News

Belgian winger Jeremy Doku has been a notable absentee for City in the early weeks of the season. He has not featured since the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal in August due to a persistent calf injury, and manager Enzo Maresca has been cautious in setting a timeline for his return. On a more positive note, academy product Nico O'Reilly returned from a back problem to feature in the Manchester derby win at Old Trafford. The club will hope both players are available for the busy run of fixtures in October, which includes a crucial Champions League home tie against Paris Saint-Germain on 14 October.

Transfer Talk

The summer transfer window brought major changes at the Etihad. A number of experienced players departed, including John Stones, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Tijjani Reijnders, Savio, Nico Gonzalez, and goalkeeper James Trafford — who joined Leeds United in a deal worth up to £45 million. On the incoming side, young Moroccan talent Ayyoub Bouaddi arrived, and Enzo Fernandez made an earlier-than-expected debut in the win over Coventry. City also sent youngster Juma Bah on loan to Augsburg. With the transfer window now shut, attention turns to whether City's squad depth will hold up across a gruelling schedule — and whether the off-field legal saga will have any impact on the club's ability to attract players in future windows.

Sources

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