30/09/2026
Manchester city go against the rules of premier league Commission in 2010/2018 and may be relegated or they may lose their Trophies
1. What are the “115 charges”?
Manchester City were accused by the Premier League of breaking financial rules over nine seasons, from 2009/10 to 2017/18. The accusations included giving inaccurate financial information, using commercial arrangements that did not reflect the true financial agreements, and failing to cooperate properly with the Premier League investigation.
The independent commission has now found City guilty of all the charges concerning the serious financial breaches, plus three of four charges relating to failure to cooperate.
2. What does “sham contracts” mean?
In simple terms, the commission found that some sponsorship arrangements did not reflect where the money actually came from.
The Premier League says these arrangements artificially increased City's reported revenue and reduced reported costs by more than £900 million over the period.
That is why this is such a serious matter: the allegation was not simply that City spent too much money. The commission concluded that the club's financial reporting and arrangements made the club appear to comply with financial rules when, according to the commission, it did not.
3. Could Manchester City be relegated?
Yes, it is legally possible. But it has NOT happened.
The possible sanctions can include:
a financial penalty;
deduction of Premier League points;
other disciplinary measures;
potentially expulsion from the Premier League.
The actual punishment has not yet been decided. A separate sanction process will take place.
So if you hear someone saying “Manchester City have been relegated”, that would be incorrect at this point.
4. Could Manchester City lose their Premier League titles?
This is one of the biggest questions.
It is possible in principle, but there has been no decision to remove the titles.
The rules give the commission broad powers when determining sanctions, and the possibility of retrospective action against titles has been discussed. However, we don't yet know whether any titles would actually be removed, or what would happen to the records if they were.
So City's Premier League trophies from the affected period remain City's trophies for now.
5. What about Manchester United and Liverpool?
This is where things become particularly interesting.
For example, Manchester City finished ahead of Manchester United in the 2011/12 Premier League season. If City were eventually stripped of that title, there would then be a separate question about whether the runner-up would officially receive it.
That does not automatically happen. The Premier League would have to determine how the historical records and sanctions are handled.
Wayne Rooney, who was part of that Manchester United team, has publicly said he would not feel comfortable receiving a retrospective winner's medal. That is his personal view, not a Premier League ruling.
6. What is Manchester City's response?
City strongly reject the findings.
The club says it is disappointed with the decision and maintains that it is innocent of the accusations. City intends to appeal the commission's decision.
The appeal is therefore extremely important.
7. What happens next?
The process is basically:
Commission verdict → City's appeal → sanction decision → possible further legal challenge
City's appeal deadline is reported to be Friday, 2 October 2026. A separate three-person appeal panel is expected to hear the case.
The important thing to understand
There are three different questions, and they shouldn't be confused:
Question Current position
Was City found guilty? Yes
Has City been punished/relegated? Not yet
Have City's titles been taken away? Not at this stage
Will City appeal? Yes
Could the punishment be very serious? Yes, potentially
Is the final outcome settled? No
So, Manchester City are in a very serious legal/football disciplinary situation, but the story is not finished yet.
