Man City found guilty in landmark 115-charge case

Manchester City has been found guilty of almost all 115 charges of financial wrongdoing by the Premier League, according to a landmark verdict announced on Tuesday. This constitutes one of the most significant scandals in English soccer history. The most successful English club in the past 15 years and the current Premier League leaders now face severe sanctions, which could include a significant points deduction or even expulsion from the league, potentially causing massive reputational harm to its Abu Dhabi ownership.

The independent commission's report detailed how the club systematically violated Premier League rules for nearly a decade, from 2009 to 2018. Among the charges were failing to provide accurate financial information, submitting inflated figures for sponsorship deals, hiding payments to managers and players, and breaching financial rules set by the Premier League and UEFA.

The league also accused Manchester City of arranging sham contracts with commercial partners and relying on false agreements to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by over £900 million ($1.19 billion) during the affected period. The commission found that City's actions were aimed at appearing to comply with financial rules while evading the league's regulations.

Sanctions will be decided in a separate hearing, and any appeal from the club would need to be made by Friday. The verdict is expected to bring chaos to English soccer, potentially triggering lawsuits from rival clubs seeking compensation for having been impacted by City's actions. The future of City's top stars and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the club's Abu Dhabi owner, remains uncertain following the verdict.