Manchester City case: the club files an appeal, the Federation mentions "significant repercussions"
Found guilty of "serious" financial violations, Manchester City announced on Friday that it has appealed this case, which has "significant implications for the integrity of football," according to the English Football Association.
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The iconic club from northern England had until Friday to contest the guilty verdict announced on Tuesday by an independent commission mandated by the Premier League.
It revealed in a statement that it had filed an appeal as early as Thursday evening, reaffirming its innocence against accusations of financial violations spanning from 2009 to 2018.
The club, owned by an Emirati fund, was found guilty of artificially inflating its revenue and underreporting its costs by over £900 million (more than €1 billion).
In its statement, City highlighted "manifest and substantial errors of law, principle, and fact" in the judgment, announcing it possesses a "comprehensive set of irrefutable evidence (...) to support its positions."
A sanction is yet to come, at an undetermined date, but the club under the leadership of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the UAE royal family, risks losing several titles and being excluded from competition in the worst-case scenario.
Since its acquisition by Emirati investors in 2008, Manchester City has won eight Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023, having made significant investments in the transfer market.
This case has sent shockwaves through English football among both Cityzens supporters and their rivals, with several calling for the return of titles won by the Mancunians.
The English Football Association finally spoke out on Friday morning, stating that Manchester City's breaches of financial regulations had "major implications for the integrity" of football.
Geopolitical Consequences
The organization clarified in a statement that it is "carefully analyzing the findings (of the investigation conducted by the Premier League) and its implications" in order to make appropriate decisions.
The judgment could also have geopolitical implications, tarnishing the success of a club that is one of the most striking illustrations of Abu Dhabi's "soft power," with which the UK has long-standing relations.
The Emirati airline Etihad, Manchester City's main partner, strongly criticized the judgment on Thursday.
The shirt sponsor, which also named the Manchester stadium, "categorically" rejected any "claim, conclusion, or insinuation" suggesting that it "would have been involved in irregular commercial agreements."
While Prime Minister Andy Burnham, former mayor of Greater Manchester, praised the investments of the club's Emirati owners on Wednesday, Downing Street tempered this support on Thursday by stating that Manchester City is not "above the rules."
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