Manchester City chairman remains confident of innocence following Premier League finding of rules violations

An appeal is expected as the club faces severe potential sanctions including massive point deductions or Premier League expulsion after an independent panel ruled on 115 financial charges Sep 26, 2026 at 12:43 pm ET • 2 min read Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak says he remains confident the club will prove their innocence after being found guilty of breaking the Premier League's financial rules.It was revealed on Friday that City had been found guilty of the vast majority of the 115 charges levied at them by the Premier League in relation to a string of rule violations between 2009 and 2018, including claims that their sponsorship revenue was not paid by the agreed companies and that they had made off book payments to players and staff.City, who have maintained their innocence throughout the process, insisted on Friday that they had not received a final decision, which they are expected to appeal. In a statement to supporters on the club website, Al Mubarak added that he believed there was much further to go in a process he remains convinced will conclude with the club vindicated."Following Friday's media reporting, many of you will have spent your evening answering questions and responding to messages from friends, family and colleagues," he said. "So have I. Here's what I said to my family: 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."There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position. But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies." English football can punish Manchester City for violations, but can Premier League ever recover what was lost? James Benge Al Mubarak went on to suggest that the club was being undermined, which followed on from an initial response in which City said they had expected the Premier League board and executive to "behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence".Al Mubarak said: "While some people have been quick to reach their own conclusions, and there is so much noise swirling around us, nothing has changed. We have faced challenges together before and have prevailed. There remain many who want to undermine the momentum of our club. We will not give them that opportunity."More than 24 hours after the story broke the Premier League has not made an official announcement on what it judges to be a private matter. On receiving the final verdict of the independent panel, which convened between September and December 2024, City will have had 14 days in which to lodge an appeal. Premier League rules state that any appeal must be heard of a period of at most five days with a decision rendered within 12 weeks. Should a guilty verdict remain after appeal then the sanction options available to the panel include any combination of fines, suspensions, points deductions or expulsion from the Premier League.