Man City Won't Deny Guilty Verdict in 115-Charge Case

Manchester City did not deny Friday that an independent Premier League panel has found the club guilty on 114 of 115 financial breach charges, according to ESPN. The club also did not deny it has been informed of the panel's decision, though it insisted the overall process "remains ongoing."

ESPN reported Sept. 25 that both City and the Premier League were approached about media reports of the verdict. The Premier League told ESPN it would not comment on a "private and confidential process." City did not directly address the reported outcome in its own statement.

What did Manchester City say Friday?

City's statement read, in part: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC's position remains consistent with the club's statement of February 2023." The club added that it "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," per ESPN.

A separate wrinkle emerged in the same report: one source told ESPN that City sought an injunction Friday to block initial reporting of the verdict. City "strongly denied" that account when ESPN put it to the club directly.

What are the 115 charges against Manchester City?

The Premier League announced the charges in February 2023, the product of a four-year investigation, according to ESPN's reporting. The case has proceeded through an independent panel process since then, with City maintaining throughout that it expects to be cleared. Friday's development marks the first indication — via the club's non-denial rather than any formal confirmation — that a verdict has actually been reached on the bulk of the counts.

What punishment could Manchester City face?

ESPN reports the possible sanctions range widely: a fine, a points deduction, or expulsion from the Premier League. No sanction has been publicly confirmed, and neither the club nor the league has detailed what penalty, if any, corresponds to the reported 114 guilty findings. City is expected to appeal any adverse verdict, per ESPN.

What happens next in the case?

Both the confidentiality of the panel process and City's own carefully worded statement leave open several procedural questions: whether a written ruling has been finalized, whether sanctions have been determined alongside the verdict, and when — or whether — the outcome will be made public in full. City's language pointed to "significant elements to be completed," suggesting the case has not reached a fully resolved conclusion even if liability findings have been reached.

Timeline of the Manchester City financial case

• February 2023: The Premier League announces 115 charges against Manchester City following a four-year investigation, per ESPN.
• 2023–2026: The case proceeds before an independent panel under strict confidentiality rules.
• Sept. 25, 2026: Media reports indicate the panel found City guilty on 114 of 115 counts; the club declines to deny the reports and says the process "remains ongoing," according to ESPN. A separate source tells ESPN City sought an injunction to block reporting of the verdict, which the club denies.

Why hasn't either side confirmed the verdict?

The Premier League's refusal to comment cites the confidential nature of the panel process, the same rationale it has offered throughout the case. City's own statement is notable for what it does not say: the club neither confirms nor denies the reported 114-count guilty finding, instead redirecting to its February 2023 position and describing the broader process as unfinished. That gap between what has leaked and what either party will state on record leaves the case's final status — and any resulting punishment — unresolved for now.

Who first reported the verdict?

The report attributing the 114-count guilty finding to Manchester City originated with ESPN reporters Rob Dawson and Mark Ogden, published Sept. 25, 2026, at 11:38 a.m. ET, according to ESPN. The outlet's account rests on its own sourcing rather than any on-the-record confirmation from the panel, the Premier League or City itself — a distinction that matters given the case's confidentiality rules. ESPN's story notes it approached both City and the league directly before publishing, and it was City's response to that outreach, not a formal announcement, that produced Friday's non-denial.