Manchester City have confirmed they will appeal against an independent commission ruling that found them guilty of 114 charges of financial malpractice.
The Premier League announced on Tuesday what had been reported last week; that the commission deemed the club had systematically broken the rules with “sham” contracts designed to inflate revenue and reduce costs.
The scale of the deception, reported to have totalled more than £900million, was breathtaking and a number of sanctions now lie on the table. City have continued to deny any wronging and on Friday lodged an appeal after declaring the verdict “unsafe”.
A club statement read:”Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7pm on Thursday 1st October 2026 the club lodged its comprehensive appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter.
“The club’s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.
“The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case.
“We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete.”
FA monitor City case closely
The Football Association could hit City with separate charges after admitting the ruling of the independent commission has “significant implications for the integrity of the game”.
An FA statement read: “The Independent Commission’s decision has significant implications for the integrity of the game. We are carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate.
“As proceedings between the Premier League and Manchester City Football Club remain ongoing, we do not intend to comment further at this stage. We will, however, continue to monitor developments closely.”
It is common practice for the FA to apply separate punishments to clubs once a Premier League investigation is completed.
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