Man City face serious sporting sanction after 114 charges verdict, leading lawyer confirms – Exclusive

Manchester City are facing a points deduction over their failure to cooperate with the Premier League investigation into their financial breaches, with one of the UK’s leading sports lawyers telling TEAMtalk he cannot see how the club avoid a sporting sanction if the independent commission has taken a particularly serious view of the obstruction charges.

Dan Chapman, Managing Partner and Head of Sports Law at Leathes Prior, believes the most significant element of the case could ultimately prove to be the charges relating to City’s failure to cooperate rather than the financial allegations themselves.

Man City were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them, although sanctions have yet to be determined and the club are expected to appeal the verdict.

Of the 115 charges, 35 relate specifically to an alleged failure to cooperate with Premier League investigations between December 2018 and February 2023.

“The most serious issue Manchester City may now be comprehending is not the financial offences themselves, but the failure to co-operate, which put another way, were charges that City were deliberately choosing to either delay or obstruct the investigation,” Chapman told TEAMtalk.

“For serious and multiple offences of obstruction, if that is indeed what City have been found guilty of,  for the sanction to be only a financial one the precedent that would be set is inconceivable. The commission would naturally be concerned that they would be sending a message that a club, when confronted with serious disciplinary allegations, could effectively buy their way out of trouble by not co-operating.”

The independent commission will determine the sanction, with the full written reasons expected to provide an important indication of how seriously it viewed City’s conduct during the investigation.

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‘Tone’ of decision will be ‘key’ for Man City

Chapman believes the wording of that decision will be crucial when assessing the potential punishment.

“My understanding is that Manchester City are applying or have already applied for the decision on liability to be kept confidential pending appeal but looking at precedent I think that application is most likely to be unsuccessful,” Chapman continued.

“Once we have the decision, the language of the commission’s findings will be key. At this stage, whilst we may be led to believe City have been defeated on 114 of the charges, we do not know for sure and in any event until we will see the reasoning of the decision and the tone, we cannot properly begin to speculate as to what any potential sanctions will be.

“But if, and it remains a big if, the commission has taken a dim view of City’s failure to comply with the Premier League’s investigations or their defence of allegations that the commission have found were indefensible, then I don’t see how anything other than a very serious sporting sanction, as well as a huge fine, will be ordered.”

The commission has the ability to impose whatever sanction it sees fit, and Chapman believes the Premier League’s lawyers will be instructed to argue for a significant punishment.

“These rules are in place to deter clubs and there is the element of self-policing here. The Premier League will no doubt argue that they need to make sure that any team is put off doing similar in the future.

“And it is the obstruction charges for me that are the big battleground here. Whilst the financial charges could very well carry financial penalties – I don’t see in the case of the 35 charges that are for failing to cooperate that, if City have lost in respect of 34 or 35 of those, that the Premier League will take lightly to any suggestion that the commission should impose only a financial penalty for those.”

There is no direct precedent determining what sanction City would receive for this combination of findings, but Chapman points to previous Premier League cases to underline the importance placed on cooperation.

“Everton and Nottingham Forest have both lost points in recent seasons, and that was after they fully cooperated with both the Premier League’s investigation and the commission and admitted offences.

“During the Forest case in 2024 the commission found Forest demonstrated ‘exceptional cooperation’ with the Premier League during the process, yet still imposed the points penalty.

“On that basis, it shows that  during these investigations the questions of both admission and cooperation are taken very seriously indeed.”

Man City can’t take ‘comfort’ from Chelsea, Everton, Forest sanctions

Chapman also points to the recent Chelsea case as a contrasting example.

Chelsea self-reported historical irregularities to the football authorities after their new owners and HMRC uncovered issues dating back to the Roman Abramovich era.

The club were given a £10million fine with a six-point deduction suspended until June 30, 2027. That points penalty was subsequently replaced on appeal with a suspended two-window transfer ban.

The club’s willingness to work with the authorities was a huge factor in the punishment, which Chapman believes highlights the importance of cooperation when sanctions are being considered.

“Whilst the Chelsea case was a FA process and not a Premier League one, the point remains that in all of these recent cases, the club have considerable mitigation that they can advance by saying they cooperated throughout, reduced unnecessary investigation and legal costs. That is clearly not the case with City – which would not be a criticism were they to be cleared of the charges.

“But if these multiple charges have been proven against them, then I do not see how City will take any comfort at all from the sanctions issued to the likes of Chelsea, Everton and Forest in recent times. They will be in very different waters.” Chapman said.

The 115 charges comprise 35 for failure to cooperate with Premier League investigations, 54 relating to allegedly inaccurate financial information, 14 concerning player and manager payments, five involving UEFA rules including Financial Fair Play, and seven concerning the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.

With the verdict now delivered but the punishment still to come, Chapman believes the independent commission’s written reasoning could prove crucial in determining how the 35 cooperation charges influence the eventual sanction facing Man City.

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