Manchester City’s reported 114-of-115 verdict: What is known and what happens next

Manchester City face a reported finding against them on nearly every charge in the Premier League’s long-running financial case. The distinction for supporters and rival clubs is that a reported finding is not yet a final outcome: the commission’s reasoning has not been publicly released, no sanction has been decided, and City are expected to appeal.1260

What has been reported—and what has not

The Athletic reported on 25 September 2026 that an independent commission found City guilty on all but one of 115 charges, citing people briefed on the matter who spoke anonymously. Reuters reported the resulting 114-of-115 figure but attributed the finding to The Athletic. BBC Sport separately reported, citing its sources, that City had been found guilty of the majority of the alleged breaches; its available account does not independently give the 114 figure.1234

The commission’s findings have not been publicly released. That means the reports do not establish which charge was unsuccessful, how the panel reasoned through individual allegations, or which specific financial transactions it found to breach the rules.160

How the case reached the commission

The Premier League charged City and referred the case to an independent commission in February 2023, following a four-year investigation. The allegations include failures to provide accurate financial information across the 2009–10 to 2017–18 seasons, as well as matters concerning payments, financial rules and cooperation with the league’s investigation.33475057

The case followed scrutiny of documents published by Der Spiegel in 2018. Those documents prompted allegations that sponsorship revenue had been inflated, including revenue associated with Etihad and Etisalat. Those remain descriptions of the allegations—not a verified account of what the commission found on any particular sponsorship deal.5360

BBC Sport’s charge explainer identifies 54 allegations concerning accurate financial information, 14 concerning player and manager payment details, five concerning UEFA rules and seven concerning Premier League profit and sustainability rules. The available extract does not verify a complete numerical breakdown of the remaining charges, so those figures should not be read as a count of findings in each category.50

The hearing began on 16 September 2024. ESPN reports that it ended on 6 December 2024; The Athletic describes it more broadly as running from September to December. The supplied reporting does not sufficiently establish the respective roles of David Pannick and Adam Lewis KC, so their involvement is not needed to understand the reported outcome.334757

City’s response and possible consequences

City have denied wrongdoing. Following the reports, the club said the Premier League process remained ongoing; an appeal is expected. BBC Sport reported that a punishment would be released before any appeal was completed, though its timing was not known.23436

A fine, points deduction or expulsion have been discussed as possible sanctions, but none has been imposed in the reporting available here. Nor is there a reported order stripping titles or awarding compensation to other clubs. The seriousness of the reported finding does not, by itself, establish what penalty will follow or whether an appeal will change the result.1374060

Comparisons with Everton or Nottingham Forest offer limited guidance: City’s case concerns a much larger set of allegations, and the commission’s reasons and sanction are still unavailable. For now, the next developments to watch are the publication of the findings, a decision on punishment and any appeal.1345160