Manchester City have formally appealed the Premier League commission’s verdict in the club’s long-running financial case involving 115 charges, insisting that the decision contains serious errors and that they are innocent of the allegations.
The Premier League champions confirmed on Friday that they had submitted a comprehensive appeal on Thursday, October 1, 2026, challenging the findings of an independent commission.
The commission found that Manchester City had arranged what it described as “sham” contracts with several commercial partners between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons. 
According to the findings, the arrangements formed part of an alleged “disguised funding scheme” designed to artificially inflate the club’s revenue by approximately £830 million.
In a statement released on Friday, City strongly rejected the commission’s conclusions, arguing that the verdict was fundamentally flawed and should not stand.
The club maintained that the decision contained substantial errors of law, principle and fact, raising questions about the reliability of the findings.
Manchester City also insisted that they possess extensive evidence to support their defence and challenge the accusations brought by the Premier League.
The club’s statement read:
“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.
“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.”
The appeal marks another major development in one of English football’s most closely watched financial disputes.
Manchester City’s case centres on allegations of financial rule breaches spanning several seasons. The club has consistently denied wrongdoing and has maintained its position throughout the proceedings.
With the appeal now formally lodged, attention will turn to the next stage of the legal process and the arguments presented by both sides.
The outcome could have significant implications for Manchester City and the Premier League’s efforts to enforce its financial regulations.
