Manchester City found guilty of almost all Premier League financial rule breaches
The club were charged in February 2023 with more than 100 breaches of league rules, charges which City strenuously denied.
City have been found guilty on almost all of those charges by an independent commission, according to The Athletic.
They are are expected to appeal the decision, but if it fails, a worst-case scenario could involve a points deduction or even relegation.
However, no sanctions have selected yet and a range of possibilities remain on the table, reports say.
"The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.
"As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the Club’s statement of February 2023.
“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence,” a Manchester City spokesperson says.
The Premier League declined to comment and stressed the process is ongoing.
The charges date back its 2009-10 season until the five-year investigation concluded in the 2022-23 campaign.
City amassed an impressive trophy cabinet over that time, winning 20 bits of silverware since its takover by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.
City were referred to the commission in February 2023, at a time when they were en route to the third of four consecutive Premier League titles.
The investigation which ultimately resulted in more than 100 charges being laid started back in 2018.
City had been charged with failing to report accurate financial information for nine seasons stretching from 2009-10 to 2017-18, as well as failing to provide full details of former manager Roberto Mancini’s pay between 2009-10 and 2012-13.
They were also charged with failing to provide full details of remuneration in contracts with players between 2010-11 and 2015-16, and with failing to co-operate with the investigation over a period from 2018 to 2023.
The club said at the time the charges were laid that they welcomed the opportunity for a commission “to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of our position”.
Four months after the charge was issued, the club won the Champions League for the first time in their history.The commission hearing began on September 16, 2024.
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