Secret meeting between Manchester City and the Premier League turned into drama
Manchester City is going through one of the most delicate periods in its history. Long considered a model of sporting and economic success since its purchase by Abu Dhabi investors in 2008, the English club is now at the heart of a financial scandal likely to call into question some of its success.
The independent commission reviewing the Premier League's charges has delivered a damning verdict, finding the Cityzens guilty of 114 of the 115 charges against them. At the heart of the case are suspicions of concealment of income, presentation of inaccurate accounts and breaches of the financial rules of the English championship.
An earthquake for an institution which dominated the Premier League under Pep Guardiola and accumulated trophies in recent years. If Manchester City strongly contests the conclusions of the commission and has initiated an appeal procedure, the scale of the facts retained places the club facing potentially historic consequences.
A deduction of points, a heavy fine, or even exclusion from the English elite are among the sanctions mentioned in this explosive case. The verdict is based on particularly serious facts, which concern nine seasons, from 2009-2010 to 2017-2018.
According to the commission's findings, Manchester City artificially inflated its commercial revenues by more than £900 million by relying on fictitious or misleading sponsorship deals. Several commercial partners would have paid only part of the sums officially announced, the balance being financed by Abu Dhabi United Group, the structure linked to its owner.
The Mancunian club would thus have presented a distorted image of its financial situation, concealed the reality of its accounts from its auditors and football authorities, while significantly exceeding the spending ceilings authorized by the Premier League and UEFA. The commission also upheld three of four charges relating to City's lack of cooperation during the investigation.
The Premier League publicly confirmed these findings on September 29, after several years of proceedings. The residents of the Etihad Stadium, who announced their intention to appeal, however continue to proclaim their innocence and denounce errors of law, principle and fact in the decision.
No final sanction has yet been imposed, but the outcome of the procedure could have a lasting impact on the landscape of English football. Secret negotiations before the verdict And the new revelation of Bloomberg adds a new, particularly embarrassing episode to the file.
According to the American media, Manchester City and the Premier League held confidential negotiations with a view to a possible amicable settlement, before the verdict unfavorable to the club was made public. These preliminary discussions could have allowed the Cityzens to considerably limit their exposure to the heaviest sanctions.