Manchester City charged with over 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules

Manchester City’s paper-thin disguise of playing fair with football finances has been pulled back today by the Premier League, who have charged the club with over 100 breaches of various financial rules and regulations, including ones over (self-)sponsorship income, player and manager remuneration, as well as Premier League and UEFA profit and sustainability rules. The charges relate to matters as far back as the 2009-10 season, all the way through the 2017-18 season.

Yes, it took the Premier League four years to get to this point, to now appoint an independent commision to pore over all this once again, though unlike UEFA, the Premier League do not have a statute of limitations for such offences.

Manchester City have of course expressed surprise at the charges, while pledging full cooperation. Last time, when UEFA charged them with FFP breaches, they got out of a two-year ban by way of an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but this time, a CAS-appeal is not an option (the Premier League is outside their remit).

That said, I’m not holding out hope for any actual punishments, whatever may be announced in due course, but perhaps this is a good reminder to Chelsea to double-check all our books as we spend at record (declared) amounts in the transfer market and look to increase our revenue to help pay for all that.