Manchester City faces potential second UEFA sanction over financial breaches
Manchester City
Abdullateef Fowewe
Manchester City could face further punishment from UEFA if their appeal against a Premier League guilty verdict on major financial rule breaches is unsuccessful.
An independent Premier League commission found the club guilty earlier this month of the vast majority of more than 100 charges relating to serious breaches of financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
The findings included the use of “sham” commercial contracts that artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million, as well as failures to co-operate fully with the investigation.
City lodged a formal appeal on 1 October 2026 and continue to deny wrongdoing, describing the verdict as containing material errors and “unsafe.”
UEFA is closely monitoring the ongoing Premier League disciplinary process and is prepared to consider its own action once a final outcome is reached, according to reports.
The European governing body previously imposed a two-year ban from continental competitions on City in 2020 for Financial Fair Play breaches, but that sanction was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Reports indicate the Premier League investigation had access to evidence that was not available to UEFA at the time of its original case.
The Premier League charged Manchester City in February 2023 following a lengthy investigation.
An independent commission later determined the club had systematically misstated its finances over nearly a decade to appear compliant with spending rules, including those of both the Premier League and UEFA.
City have dominated English football in the years since the period under scrutiny, winning multiple Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Sanctions from the Premier League process, if the verdict is upheld, could range from substantial fines and points deductions to more severe measures such as transfer restrictions or even expulsion.
The appeal process is expected to conclude by late December or early 2027 under league rules.
Any UEFA involvement would represent a separate potential layer of consequences for the club’s European future.
