Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak says club remains confident of proving innocence

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak told supporters on Saturday that the club remains confident it can prove its innocence in the Premier League’s financial-rules case. His letter followed reports that an independent panel had found most of the charges against City proven, a development that could carry major consequences for the club but has not been publicly confirmed by the league.

“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 wrote. The chairman’s message makes clear that City continues to contest the case even as attention turns to an expected appeal and, later, any possible sanction.

What Al Mubarak told supporters

Al Mubarak said supporters would have spent Friday evening fielding questions from friends, family and colleagues after the reports appeared. He said he had done the same. In the letter, reported by BBC Sport and Sky Sports, he told fans there was more he wanted to share about why the club remained confident, but said the process’s strict confidentiality prevented him from doing so.

The letter itself had undergone several legal checks, he said. Al Mubarak added that some people had been quick to reach conclusions, while insisting that the club’s stance had not changed. His remarks offer supporters the chairman’s assessment of City’s position; they do not disclose the panel’s reasoning or set out a public answer to the individual charges.

What is known about the finding

The Guardian reported on Friday that an independent panel had found the vast majority of more than 100 charges against City proven. BBC Sport also reported that outcome, while Sky Sports said reports claimed that virtually all the charges had been proven. The Premier League had not made a public announcement in the accounts available, and the commission’s written reasons were not publicly available there.

The case concerns allegations about City’s compliance with the league’s financial rules over multiple seasons. The Guardian reported that the charges cover the 2009-10 to 2022-23 seasons and include claims about the accuracy of financial information supplied to the league, as well as matters relating to remuneration and financial regulations. City has denied wrongdoing. The distinction between the reported panel finding and a published final outcome matters because further stages of the process remain.

The Guardian described 134 charges in its account; BBC Sport and Sky Sports referred to the case as involving 115 charges. Those differing totals should not be read as separate cases. All three reports concern the same Premier League proceedings against Manchester City, but the available accounts do not reconcile their counting methods.

Appeal and sanctions remain unresolved

Sky Sports News said it understood the case was moving to the appeal stage, and BBC Sport reported that City would appeal. The available reports do not establish that an appeal has been filed, what grounds it would raise or when it would be decided. No sanction had been announced. The Guardian reported that a decision on punishment would be expected after the appeal process if the finding against City stands.

Possible sanctions described in the reporting include a fine, a points deduction and removal from the competition. Those are potential outcomes under the league’s rules, not penalties imposed on City. The eventual result depends on the remaining proceedings and any appeal. The lack of a public written decision also means readers cannot yet assess the panel’s reasoning from an official account.

The length of the case has added to its significance for English football. City was charged in February 2023 following a Premier League investigation, and BBC Sport reported that the independent commission’s hearing had concluded 22 months before Friday’s news. The charges span seasons in which City won major trophies, making the unresolved outcome consequential for the club, its supporters and rival teams.

Other clubs are already considering their position. BBC Sport reported that Premier League clubs were seeking legal advice about potential compensation, while football lawyer Paul Gilroy KC said four clubs had made protective claims reserving a right to seek it if City were found guilty. Those claims are contingent; the reporting does not establish that compensation is owed or that any club will receive it.

For an explanation of the possible procedural outcomes, see our Manchester City verdict guide.