Manchester City ‘files comprehensive appeal’ after Premier League finds club guilty of financial fraud: ‘We are innocent’

Manchester City confirmed on Friday that the club has filed an appeal against the judgment passed by the Premier League.

Updated on: Oct 2, 2026, 16:44:39 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Manchester City, the eight-time Premier League champions, on Friday confirmed that the club has filed an official appeal against the judgment passed by the Independent Panel regarding allegations of financial fraud and sham deals with sponsors. The drama surrounding the two parties - Premier League and City gained a whole new dimension with the latest development, and the matter is set to go on for the next few months.

Manchester City has filed an appeal against the judgement passed by the Premier League. (Action Images via Reuters)

Earlier this week, the Premier League confirmed that the independent panel found the club guilty of major financial wrongdoing, and the organisers gave City until October 2 to lodge an official complaint. City confirmed that the appeal was filed on Thursday evening, saying the club remains innocent.

Also Read: Manchester City found guilty on all charges of financial fraud, Premier League says club arranged ‘sham contracts’

“Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7pm on Thursday, 1st October 2026, the Club lodged its comprehensive Appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter. The Club’s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe,” Manchester City said in an official statement.

“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, relating to this case. We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete,” it added.

What did the Premier League organisers say?

The Premier League also reacted to the latest development, saying that the independent appeal board hearing will remain private and confidential until the outcome is published.

“Manchester City FC has appealed the decision of an independent Commission regarding breaches of Premier League rules. The club lodged the appeal to the Chair of the Judicial Panel,” the Premier League said.

Earlier, the independent Commission stated that between the seasons 2009/10 and 2017/18, Manchester City arranged ‘sham’ contracts with a number of its commercial partners. Moreover, those ‘sham’ agreements were relied upon to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs.

Manchester City also filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from its auditors and football regulators. Moreover, the panel also claimed that during the investigation launched by the Premier League, Manchester City committed several breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith towards the League.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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