Latest news, key details and what's next as Manchester City launch appeal against guilty verdict

It was announced by the Premier League on September 29, 2026 that an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of breaching over 100 Premier League regulations. That verdict found the club guilty of all charges related to "serious breaches" of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period from 2009-10 to 2017-18, and guilty of "the majority" of charges related to Man City's failure to cooperate with the league's investigation. A few days later (October 1, 2026), Man City launched their appeal against the verdict. Here is a rundown of the key facts, what's next and the latest updates. What are the key points behind Manchester City’s guilty verdict? The independent commission found that Man City arranged 'sham' contracts and agreements with commercial partners and sponsors to inflate the club's revenues and reduce costs by more than $1.2 billion. By falsely reporting their commercial revenue, the club were able to spend "significantly" more than allowed under Premier League and UEFA spending limits, with key player transfers made during the period. Roughly 87% of Manchester City’s reported commercial income over this period was found to have not actually been paid by the sponsors and instead artificially input into the club via illicit payments from the owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group. What key parties have said Premier League chief executive Richard Masters: "The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade. "It also vindicates the Premier League’s decision to pursue this case against Manchester City.  While the process to date has been both long and difficult, the League has remained determined that the facts be established independently. "It is a key responsibility of the Premier League to ensure that the Rules, approved by the clubs themselves, are upheld to protect the integrity of the competition. It is paramount that the League remains competitive and fair for all clubs and for the fans. We take that role extremely seriously. "This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history. There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches. Now we have the Commission’s decision, we are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the League, our clubs and fans." Manchester City statement on lodging appeal: "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." Manchester City CEO Ferran Sorriano said the following in a video sent to staff and players at the club: "The whole Premier League case against us is based on a single false accusation – that the owner’s personal money was somehow and secretly put into the club via some sponsors from Abu Dhabi. This is just not true. Irrefutable evidence has been provided to the Premier League commission that shows it could not happen and that it did not happen. This includes bank statements, money transfers, witnesses and everything necessary to categorically demonstrate the money did not come from the owner.” "Every other false charge that has been thrown at us comes from that simple, central and completely false accusation. Surprisingly for us and our lawyers after nearly two years the commission has issued an opinion that supports the Premier League’s conspiracy theory. "To do so, the opinion had to ignore the extensive evidence provided by the club in order to reach a conclusion that is clearly wrong. Our lawyers will now file an appeal that sets out the opinion contains clear, material errors of law, principle and fact and that it is unsafe." What’s next? Now that Man City's appeal has been launched, the Premier League Handbook states that the appeal hearing must finish within 12 weeks of the date it was lodged. That means the hearing has to be finished by December 24, 2026. A decision should then be made within 30 days of that hearing being over. However, with a case this complex, it is unclear if extra time could be given to complete the appeal process. The independent commission will also hold a separate hearing to decide on Man City's sanctions. How long could Man City’s appeal take? If we go from the dates listed in the Premier League Handbook, and assume everything runs on time, then the hearing on Man City's appeal against the guilty verdict could conclude in December, with a decision made in January. However, as noted above, it is unclear whether more time might be needed given the scope and scale of this case. Depending on the outcome of the appeal, and if any sanctions are handed out, Manchester City have the right to appeal any sanctions. That would then take even longer to sort out. There's also the potential for further investigations/charges from outside the Premier League, including from The Football Association, the new Independent Football Regulator in the UK and the British legal and tax authorities. Latest news on Manchester City situation, as they appeal the independent commission’s guilty verdict Manchester City found guilty by independent commission of breaching Premier League financial rules, announced by the PL Manchester City confirm their appeal against guilty verdict has been launched Pep Guardiola issues statement