The Football Association has said the independent commission’s findings against Manchester City have significant implications for the integrity of football, as the club prepares to challenge the verdict through the appeal process.
The FA made the statement on Friday, October 2, after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations over a nine season period.
In its brief statement, the governing body said it was carefully examining the commission’s decision and its implications.
“The Independent Commission’s decision has significant implications for the integrity of the game,” the FA said.
“We are carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate.”
The FA added that it would not comment further at this stage because proceedings between the Premier League and Manchester City remain ongoing, but said it would continue to monitor developments closely.
The statement followed the publication of the independent commission’s core decision by the Premier League on September 29.
The commission found Manchester City guilty of serious financial-rule breaches covering the period from the 2009/10 season through to 2017/18. According to the Premier League, the findings included the use of contracts with commercial partners that misrepresented the true agreements between the parties.
The commission found that these arrangements artificially inflated Manchester City’s reported revenues and reduced its costs. It also found that the club submitted misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from auditors and football regulators.
The Premier League said the commission found that the arrangements artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million during the affected period. It concluded that, had the relevant agreements been accurately reported, Manchester City would have breached both Premier League and UEFA spending limits by a substantial amount.
The commission also considered Manchester City’s conduct during the Premier League’s investigation.
Of four alleged breaches concerning the club’s duty to cooperate with the investigation, three were upheld. The Premier League said the commission concluded that Manchester City had made concerted efforts to frustrate its investigation.
Manchester City has strongly rejected the findings.
The club said it was disappointed and surprised by the commission’s decision and maintained that it was innocent of the accusations. City also said it had evidence supporting its position and confirmed that it would pursue the appeal avenues available to it.
The appeal is now a crucial part of the process. Under the Premier League’s rules, Manchester City has until Friday, October 2, to appeal the commission’s findings. If an appeal is lodged, the case will proceed to a separate appeal process.
Importantly, no final sporting sanction has been imposed on Manchester City at this stage.
The Premier League has confirmed that the question of sanctions will be dealt with separately by an independent commission. The league said the sanctions hearing would remain private and confidential until publication of the outcome is permitted.
That distinction is important because the commission’s findings and any eventual punishment are separate stages of the disciplinary process. The outcome could also be affected by the appeal.
The case has attracted significant attention because of the length of the investigation and the number and nature of the financial allegations involved. The Premier League began its investigation in December 2018 before formally issuing its complaint in February 2023. The independent commission subsequently conducted a 42 day hearing, which concluded in December 2024.
The Premier League has described the case and the commission’s decision as the most significant disciplinary matter in its history, while stressing that important elements, particularly the question of sanctions, remain unresolved.
The FA’s intervention does not therefore represent a new charge or punishment against Manchester City. Rather, it confirms that the governing body is assessing the implications of the independent commission’s findings and will determine whether any action falls within its regulatory powers.
For now, the focus remains on Manchester City’s appeal and the next stages of the Premier League’s disciplinary process.
Until those proceedings are concluded, the full consequences of the commission’s findings remain unresolved. The FA has made clear, however, that it considers the decision significant enough to warrant careful consideration because of its implications for the integrity of the game.
