Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-29 · by Steve Douglas The Associated Press
In November 2018, German outlet Der Spiegel published emails revealing alleged financial improprieties at Manchester City, sparking investigations by UEFA and the Premier League. By February 2023, the Premier League concluded that City violated over 100 financial rules from 2009 to 2018 and declared its intention to impose severe penalties on the club, including potential expulsion from the league. Manchester City has rejected these allegations as baseless and announced plans to appeal the decision.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-29,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Manchester City has been found guilty of almost all (114 out of 115) charges related to breaching Premier League financial regulations, according to reports by The Athletic. The charges stem from an investigation that began in February 2023 and cover a period from 2009 to 2018. City has yet to confirm the verdict but maintains its case is still ongoing.
The offenses include providing inaccurate financial information, failing to disclose player and manager payments accurately, breaching UEFA’s financial fair play rules, and non-cooperation with Premier League investigations. The club faces potential punishments ranging from significant points deductions to suspension from competitions.
City plans to appeal the decision, which could extend legal proceedings for several months. Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp has previously welcomed any ruling that would see his team awarded a title if City’s three titles (2012-13, 2014-15, and 2017-18) are stripped due to the breaches. However, no sanctions have been finalized yet. The saga began in November 2018 when German outlet Der Spiegel published emails suggesting City had covered up true sources of income to comply with financial regulations. UEFA and the Premier League launched investigations shortly after these revelations.
Written for “Man City Premier League Charges Verdict” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 85 other(s) covering the same event.
The verdict has been delivered in the seismic case between the Premier League and Manchester City.
asserted
verdict → deliver → League
City was found guilty of nearly all of the 115 financial charges laid by the Premier League, the competition said Tuesday in an explosive statement.
asserted
competition → find → statement
City faces a severe punishment, potentially even expulsion from the world’s most popular league, but has vowed to appeal.
asserted
City → face → league
2018
November — German outlet Der Spiegel publishes internal emails from City which it claimed detailed schemes by the club to allegedly cover up true sources of income in a bid to comply with financial fair play regulations.
uncertain
it → publish → regulations
The information published by Der Spiegel was unearthed by the “Football Leaks” website, whose founder is Rui Pinto — a Portuguese computer hacker.
asserted
founder → publish → website
City did not dispute the authenticity of any emails but said it would not be providing comment on “out-of-context materials purportedly hacked or stolen from City Football Group and Manchester City personnel and associated people.”
asserted
it → dispute → Group
City said it is an “organized and clear” attempt to damage its reputation.
asserted
it → say → reputation
UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, starts to conduct a review of the case, which also sparks a Premier League investigation.
asserted
which → start → investigation
As Der Spiegel continues to publish internal City documents from “Football Leaks,” UEFA opens a formal investigation into whether the club violated financial rules.
asserted
club → continue → rules
City says it welcomes the opening of the investigation, adding it is “an opportunity to bring to an end the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out-of-context publication of City emails.”
asserted
it → say → emails
May 14 — City says the club has provided “comprehensive proof” that it did not break financial regulations and that the accusations are “entirely false.”
uncertain
accusations → say → regulations
It came as reports say City has not been cooperating with investigators and is facing a one-season ban from the Champions League for violating financial monitoring rules.
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City → come → rules
2020
Feb. 14 — City is banned from the Champions League for two seasons by UEFA for “serious breaches” of spending rules and failing to cooperate with investigators.
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City → ban → investigators
City also is fined 30 million euros (then $33 million).
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City → fin → euros
City says UEFA’s investigation was “flawed” and announces plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
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investigation → say → Sport
July 13 — City successfully overturns its ban from the Champions League after CAS upholds the club’s appeal, saying some UEFA allegations were not proven and others were “time-barred.”
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others → overturn → appeal
CAS imposes a 10 million euro ($11.3 million) fine on City for failing to cooperate with independent investigators.
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CAS → impose → investigators
2023
Feb. 6 — City is referred to an independent commission by the Premier League, which alleges more than 100 breaches of financial rules by the club.
asserted
which → refer → club
City is accused of providing misleading information about its finances from 2009-18 and a subsequent failure to co-operate with the league’s investigation.
asserted
City → accuse → investigation
City says it is “surprised” by the allegations and claims there is a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to counter the allegations.
uncertain
it → say → allegations
May 24 — City wins the Premier League for a fifth time in six seasons and manager Pep Guardiola says he wants the financial charges to be dealt with “as soon as possible.”
Sept. 11 — Rui Pinto is given a suspended prison sentence of four years after being convicted by a Lisbon court of nine crimes: five counts of unauthorized entry into computer systems, three counts of intercepting correspondence for accessing emails, and one count of attempted extortion.
uncertain
Pinto → win → extortion
During his trial, Pinto admitted to being behind the information published on the website that was set up in 2015 but argued he is a whistleblower, not a criminal.
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he → admit → 2015
2024
Sept. 16 — An independent commission, comprising three judges, begins the hearing into the Premier League charges against City at a secret location in London.
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commission → comprise → London
Dec. 6 — The hearing ends after 12 weeks, with no announcement over the expected date for the verdict.
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hearing → end → verdict
2026
Sept. 25 — The Athletic reports that City has been found guilty of all but one of the charges laid by the Premier League.
asserted
City → report → League
Sept. 29 — The Premier League releases the verdict of the independent commission, confirming City is guilty of “all charges related to the serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period and the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the league’s investigation.”
asserted
City → release → investigation
The league says the commission found that City ”clearly intended to circumvent” the financial rules with what it described as “sham” contracts whose purpose were “found to have been to artificially inflate the club’s revenues, and reduce its costs, by more than £900 million.”
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purpose → say → million
City says it is innocent and will be “relentless” as the club pursues avenues to appeal.
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club → say → avenues
The Aporia
