FA considers Manchester City verdict as club appeals financial-rule findings

The Football Association said on 2 October that the Premier League commission’s financial-rule verdict against Manchester City has significant implications for the integrity of the game. City has lodged an appeal against the findings, according to the Guardian. The FA says it is considering the decision and will act where appropriate, leaving open whether it will bring a separate disciplinary case.

What the FA has said about Manchester City

In its first public statement since the verdict, the FA said the commission’s decision had ‘significant implications for the integrity of the game’. It said it was carefully considering the decision and its implications, would take action where appropriate and would continue to monitor developments. The statement offered no decision on a charge, named no individual under review and did not specify what action the FA might take.

The FA said proceedings between the Premier League and City remained ongoing and that it would not comment further at this stage. The Guardian reported that the FA considers itself able to take disciplinary action against the club and individuals, and that it would wait until the appeal process had concluded before deciding whether to act. Those details go beyond the FA’s short public statement, which does not set out its powers or expressly give that timetable.

According to the Guardian, the names of individuals involved were redacted from the published core judgment. The paper reported that the FA could ask the Premier League for an unredacted version. It also described waiting for league proceedings to finish as the FA’s usual practice. Neither the possibility of obtaining more detail nor that practice amounts to an announcement of charges in this case.

What the Premier League commission found

According to the Premier League, the commission found that City used sham commercial and other arrangements to inflate revenue and reduce costs, and filed misstated accounts. The league said the arrangements had that effect by more than £900 million over the period. It said the commission found that the club had breached both Premier League and UEFA spending limits. Three of four alleged breaches of duties to cooperate with the league’s investigation were also upheld.

The case has taken years to reach this point. The Premier League said its investigation began in December 2018, that it issued a complaint in February 2023 and that the commission’s 42-day hearing concluded in December 2024. Its statement described a liability decision, with the question of sanction left for a separate hearing. The league says its rules allow measures including fines, points deductions and other sporting sanctions; it has announced no final sanction in the material published so far.

City’s challenge is the change since NewsJaws’ earlier report on the ruling and its unresolved next steps. The Guardian reported on Friday that the club had appealed. The Associated Press separately reported that City said it filed a comprehensive appeal on Thursday evening, 1 October, ahead of the deadline the Premier League had set for 2 October.

How the appeal affects the timetable

City says the commission’s opinion contains material errors and is unsafe, and maintains that it is innocent of the accusations, according to AP. Those are the club’s objections to findings already made by the commission; the appeal’s outcome remains unknown. AP reported that Premier League rules provide for the appeal hearing to finish within 12 weeks of filing. The Guardian reported that the FA’s wait could extend until the end of January, based on the league’s rulebook. Neither report establishes a scheduled decision date.

The Premier League says sanctions will be addressed in a further commission hearing and that the hearing will remain private until publication of its outcome is permitted. It says its intention is to conclude the full process, including any appeal and publication of relevant decisions, as soon as possible. For now, the appeal, any sanction and any subsequent FA action are unresolved. The FA’s public commitment is to consider the verdict, monitor developments and act where appropriate.