BBC Sport

Man City charges latest: Decision made in 115 charges case

Breaking news and reaction to Manchester City declining to comment on 115 charges report.

Manchester City have been found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching, sources have told BBC Sport.

The Athletic is reporting that the sanctions have not been decided but that the independent panel has reached its decision, finding them guilty of all but one count.

Sources have told BBC Sport a decision has been made in the case, and City have been found guilty of the majority of breaches.

The Premier League declined to comment.

Asked if the report was correct, City did not comment either way.

Instead they released a statement saying that the “Premier League process remains ongoing with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality”.

“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence,” it added.

BBC Sport has also been told that, in the event of a defeat, Manchester City will appeal against the findings.

10 point deduction for Everton incoming then.

Very interested to see what the final outcome to this will be, it's been known for a while that it's coming, but the punishment needs to be correct.

I do indeed fear that the final punishment will be a points deduction and fine, potentially a transfer window ban as well, which, well, all that will do is put them out of title contention and maybe European football for a year, and then they can carry on as if nothing ever happened. Obviously Everton did have that and weren't even relegated, but their crimes were far lesser, and Man City will have all their titles gained still, that'll just be cost of doing business.

Punishment should be considering things up to and including stripping titles in the period covered and expulsion from the league this season, to re-enter at a far lower level - or something that is in some way proportional.

I always thought they would get nothing more than a fine and a transfer ban at most but the fact that Pep jumped ship RIGHT before this season leads me to suspect he knows it'll be far far worse.

Imagine if they actually confiscated their titles, that'd put United one more ahead of Liverpool again!

I'll wait to see what the final punishment will be before I get excited but this has been a LONG time coming.

1 hour ago, Dobbo said:

I always thought they would get nothing more than a fine and a transfer ban at most but the fact that Pep jumped ship RIGHT before this season leads me to suspect he knows it'll be far far worse.

Imagine if they actually confiscated their titles, that'd put United one more ahead of Liverpool again!

Jose will join the open top bus parade for the greatest achievement of his career.

Oh dear, if they get fined, where will *checks notes* the United Arab Emirates find the money to pay it?

In the seasons covered by the charges Tottenham missed out on the Champions League by one place three times.

To be fair, that was probably for the best.

9 hours ago, Mack. said:

That would explain Djibril Cisse celebrating with Samir Nasri after the final whistle went!

22 hours ago, Houdini said:

That would explain Djibril Cisse celebrating with Samir Nasri after the final whistle went!

Were they not French team mates at the time?

11 minutes ago, Steve201 said:

Were they not French team mates at the time?

Think he'd retired internationally by this point.

The Premier League has confirmed that Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009-10 & 2017-18. I think this pretty much guarantees that they're not just going to get a fine. It's about whether the Premier League has the balls to relegate them outright from the league, because a points deduction will only stop them from winning the title in whichever season it is inflicted on them. Even if they had a 30 points deduction they would still win enough matches to be clear of the relegation zone.

Something like this happened to Juventus in Serie A in 2006. They won the league but were found guilty of cheating and were relegated outright to Serie B for the following season and instead the title was awarded to Inter Milan who were originally runners-up.

Shampagne Supernova.

I think they'll end up being relegated and probably the Red Cartel (and Spurs) claiming £100s of millions in damages, but probably settling.

Can't see anything else, the sponsorship inflating while I've always suspected it, it's actually nuts when you look at it.

Wishcasting outcomes now expulsion seems quite possibly on the table assuming the rest of the Prem vote for it:

Man City may still get deducted points, but that only punishes them for one season, likely relegated to the Championship, unless it's spread over multiple seasons. Not big enough a punishment considering the scale and time of the cheating and the way statements and such have been worded. Any proportional deduction would just be an automatic relegation, so there's little point IMO. Also there is a difference between points deduction and voting for expulsion, because the latter will then require a lower league to let them back in as it goes outside the normal promotion and relegation processes.

So say they're expelled from the PL, possibly before the end of this current season, with points against them in games already played not counting. Can't see them wanting to drag this punishment out further, could come very quickly, especially as all leagues in the pyramid will want to finalise their promotion/relegation numbers based on if the ultimate resolution affects them. Two teams are relegated from the remaining 19 in the PL, season has an asterisk, Spurs finish 17th.

The EFL probably won't take them in, certainly not at Championship level. Possibly at League 2 but I don't think clubs will agree to that. The National League might well, particularly as their clubs could prioritise the payday, but then Man City enters at the 5th or 6th level of the pyramid. All their current players will trigger clauses in contracts and leave, the owners may sell the club, either voluntarily for economic reasons or because they are forced to. If they survive to start climbing up the league like Rangers did, they'll have to rely on greatly diminished finances, still outspending teams in their divisions, though this time within the boundaries of what's legal. Takes them half a decade at least to get themselves back in the conversation of England's biggest clubs, though if they get back up there it would be on merit.

At any point in this process the club could be dissolved as it becomes financially unviable to maintain their present assets. Could easily see that happening too.

Depending on the outcome of this case I could well boycott the Premier League as of next season if they get it wrong. Relegation by at least one division (although dropping them to non-league would be preferable), stripping of their titles (possibly re-awarded to second place) and a hefty fine in the £100ms is the start of what I'd expect, anything less and my TV subscriptions are going to be cancelled at the end of the season and I'll stop attending matches in the Premier League until I can be confident I'm not watching a complete sham. Whilst we always knew City were corrupt the more it comes out about this the more you question how the organisation let them get away with obvious fraud for so long and start getting suspicious about what other clubs are currently up to.

Rumour is that PL will start investigating the Glazers next.

I work in accounting and despite only having been an junior audit clerk at the start of my career, I am surprised that BDO (Manc City auditor) doesn't know anything and that it was "concealed" from them. That can only be true if City does maintain multiple set of books - one for the auditor, one for the owner, and one for their uncle.

And now any auditors would not touch Man City financial audit with 10m barge pole.

This is basically Enron-style scandal in the PL And for the PL.