Man City chairman vows to prove innocence after guilty verdict — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Khaldoon Al Mubarak wrote to fans expressing confidence in proving City's innocence, saying "our confidence and intent in proving the club's innocence is just as strong as when this began," while remaining bound by legal confidentiality that prevented sharing specifics.
- Manchester City were found guilty of the vast majority of 115 Premier League charges relating to inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and "off the books" payments over nine seasons; the club confirmed it will appeal, and the verdict came 1,327 days after charges were brought in February 2023.
- Possible sanctions include a points deduction, expulsion from the Premier League, or a massive fine, with the Premier League yet to announce a punishment — former chairman David Bernstein said any penalty would have to be "more drastic than that."
- Four Premier League clubs have already filed protective compensation claims, and former Liverpool MD Christian Purslow warned the cascade could "spiral out of control," noting each league place was worth roughly £3m and teams finishing just above relegation could claim huge losses across all nine seasons.
- City won eight trophies during the covered period — three Premier League titles, three EFL Cups, one FA Cup, and one Community Shield — spanning the tenures of Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini, and the first two years under Pep Guardiola.
- Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy urged a swift resolution, calling the situation "very unsettling for football fans," while the Premier League has declined to officially comment on the verdict.
Why it matters: With four clubs already filing protective compensation claims and Purslow flagging that each of the 19 rivals in each of the nine affected seasons suffered computable losses, the financial fallout could extend well beyond any sporting sanction on City. Purslow's "where does this end?" framing points to civil liability across the league, not just a Premier League disciplinary fine.
Ask SkimNews
