Manchester City’s long-running financial case has reached a crucial stage following reports that an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against it by the Premier League.
No punishment has been announced, and City are expected to appeal and maintain that the process is still ongoing.
Man City’s 114-charge case dates back to allegations that emerged from the Football Leaks revelations, when Rui Pinto, the Portuguese whistleblower behind the leaks, obtained a large collection of confidential football documents, some of which related to Manchester City.
Documents published by Der Spiegel in 2018 brought renewed attention to City’s sponsorship arrangements and compliance with financial regulations and became part of the wider scrutiny surrounding the club.
Pinto has followed the case closely. After the reported findings on 25 September 2026, he described the decision as a ‘historic decision for English football’ and said it vindicated documents released through Football Leaks.
Pinto also described the alleged conduct at City as ‘structural manipulation and financial manoeuvring’. Those are his descriptions and should not be presented as findings of the commission.
Man City’s 114 charges and denial
Manchester City have consistently denied wrongdoing since the Premier League brought the charges in February 2023.
Following reports of the commission’s findings, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak told supporters that the club remained confident of proving its innocence and stressed that the Premier League process was not over.
‘The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began,’ Al Mubarak said.
He said the club could not disclose more about its position because of the confidentiality surrounding the case, adding that City had continued to respect the legal process.