Manchester City CEO calls Premier League verdict a ‘conspiracy theory’
Ferran Soriano said Manchester City will appeal reported financial-rule findings; sanctions remain for a separate commission hearing.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has called the reported Man City Premier League verdict a “conspiracy theory” and said the club will challenge it. In a video message sent to staff and players on 29 September, Soriano said City’s lawyers would appeal an opinion that he said was adverse to the club.
Sky Sports News, which published the video, identified Soriano as the speaker and said the message had been circulated internally. He said the Premier League’s case rested on what he described as a false allegation: that the owner’s personal money had been secretly channelled into the club through sponsors from Abu Dhabi.
Soriano said City had given the commission bank statements, money-transfer records and witness evidence which, in the club’s view, showed that had not occurred. He accused the commission of disregarding the club’s evidence and said its opinion contained material errors of law, principle and fact.
What did Manchester City’s CEO say about the Premier League verdict?
Soriano said City would continue to defend itself through the appeal process and other legal routes available to it. He also referred to City’s successful 2020 appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, though that previous case does not determine the outcome of the current proceedings.
The message concerned a document containing an opinion against City, rather than a publicly available full written judgment. BBC Sport reported on 25 September that sources said City had been found guilty of the majority of 115 Premier League financial-rule charges, while noting the panel’s written judgment had not been made public.
The Guardian reported that an independent panel had found City guilty on more than 100 charges and concluded the club had inflated revenue and reduced costs through “sham” sponsorship arrangements over nine years. Those are reported findings, which City disputes through Soriano’s statement.
The Premier League charged City in February 2023 after a four-year investigation into alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018, according to the BBC. The allegations covered financial reporting, payments to players and managers, UEFA and Premier League financial rules, and cooperation with the league’s investigation.
What happens next in Manchester City’s appeal?
Sanctions have not yet been decided. The Guardian reported that they will be considered at a further hearing before the independent commission.
Under Premier League rules described by Sky Sports, either side can appeal within 14 days of a judgment. A new three-person Appeal Board would hear the case and can uphold, dismiss or vary the original decision. Sky Sports said the process does not allow a further appeal to CAS.
Possible sanctions available to an independent commission include fines, points deductions and other sporting penalties, Sky Sports reported. No penalty or appeal outcome has been set out in the evidence available so far.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.