The English football champions Manchester City are again threatened with great trouble because of their handling of financial rules.
The club of coach Pep Guardiola and striker Erling Haaland have been accused of violating the financial rules of the Premier League for years, as the English football league announced on Monday.
In the worst case, the club, supported by sheikhs from Abu Dhabi, faces expulsion from the Premier League. A fine or the deduction of points is also possible.
The league has commissioned an independent commission to investigate the allegations. It is about alleged rule violations in more than 100 cases.
Given the number of allegations and the length of the investigation, observers spoke of an unprecedented event in the history of the Premier League. It is unclear when the Commission’s final award can be expected.
City reacts in surprise
City reacted with surprise, “particularly given the extensive commitment and large amount of detailed material” that the league had been provided with. The Premier League had also accused the Citezens, current employer of German international Ilkay Gündogan, of not having cooperated with the investigators.
“The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission charged with impartially examining the extensive irrefutable evidence available in support of its position,” City said in a statement. It is hoped that this matter will be settled once and for all.
According to the league, Man City broke the rules for a total of nine seasons between 2009 and 2018.
Already in 2020 there were investigations against Manchester City
The league accuses club officials of providing incorrect financial information, “particularly in relation to their income (including sponsorship income), their related parties and their operating costs”. During the period studied, City won the English Championship three times.
It’s not the first time the club’s finances have come under scrutiny. In 2020, Man City successfully defended themselves against a two-year suspension in the European Cup before the European Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The European Football Union UEFA had imposed the suspension for “serious violations” of the rules of Financial Fair Play. At the time, UEFA referred to a period between 2012 and 2016. Man City had always denied all allegations.