Manchester City have been found guilty by an independent commission of every charge brought against them relating to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules. The commission ruled that the club had arranged sham commercial contracts as part of a scheme that artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million. Amid the turmoil, City have until Friday 2 October to lodge an appeal. "The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions," City insisted in an official statement.
The scale of the potential punishment is without precedent. The independent commission has the power to impose anything from a points deduction or a heavy fine to outright expulsion from the top flight. Should City be expelled, they would have to apply to the FA, English football's governing body, to rejoin the football pyramid. Under English Football League rules, any new member must start in League Two, the fourth tier, and the decision would go to a vote of all 72 of the league's member clubs. The final sanctions will be set at a separate hearing of the independent commission, which is expected to take place before the end of the current season.
