Manchester City to Appeal Guilty Verdict in Premier League Financial Case

Manchester City plan to appeal the guilty verdict in their Premier League case, and they have until Friday, October 2 to file it.

The club was found guilty on Tuesday of all charges tied to serious breaches of the league's financial rules between 2009 and 2018. The Premier League shared the news in a statement, along with a written ruling from the independent commission that heard the case. How City will be punished has not been decided. The league said that "issue of sanction will be addressed separately in a further hearing with the independent commission."

City said in their own statement that they will fight the ruling. "Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe," the club said.

Chief executive Ferran Soriano backed that up in a video message sent to club staff after the verdict came out. He said the whole case rests on one claim that City say is false.

"The whole Premier League case against us is based on a single false accusation," Soriano said. "That the owner's personal money was somehow and secretly put into the club via some sponsors from Abu Dhabi. This is just not true."

He added that the club's lawyers would now file an appeal. "Our lawyers will now file an appeal that sets out that the opinion contains clear material errors of law, principle and fact and is unsafe," he said.

Under Premier League rules, City are allowed to appeal. The league made it clear, though, that it wants this wrapped up quickly. The charges were first announced in February 2023, so the case has already dragged on for a long time.

"The club has the right to appeal the independent Commission's findings and has until Friday, October 2 to exercise that right," the Premier League said. 

"The Premier League Board's intention is that the full process (including any appeals and publication of relevant decisions) is concluded as soon as possible."