26 Sept 2026 11:31 BST |
2 min read
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Manchester City face the potential of severe repercussions from the Premier League after reportedly being found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them.
At the heart of these claims is a contract that was allegedly handed to former manager Roberto Mancini that saw him effectively double his salary during his stint in charge at the Etihad Stadium.
It has been claimed that the Italian operated with two agreements in place: one that was put through the books of the Premier League side and a second agreement with Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira.
Roberto Mancini’s double contract allegations at Man City
Mancini allegedly had two contracts during his stint as Man City manager from December 2009 until the summer of 2013, Gazzetta dello Sport writes.
The official deal with the Premier League side saw him paid €1.69m per year after taxes, but he also had another agreement with Al Jazira, who are also owned by Sheikh Mansour, that was worth €2.03m.
Officially, he was employed as a consultant for the UAE-based side, yet he reportedly only needed to work four days per year for that salary.
A scheme was set up that was allegedly put in place to avoid the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules of both UEFA and the Premier League, and saw ‘Italy International Services’ invoice this consultancy work to Man City. The funds were transferred via Abu Dhabi United Group to Al Jazira and finally to Mancini, it is claimed.
City, meanwhile, stand accused of failing to disclose these payments, though both the club and Mancini have rejected this claim.
Man City’s alleged double-contract system
There are other allegations of Manchester City using this ‘double contract’ system to hide the true nature of their payments, potentially circumventing FFP rules that other clubs were abiding by and, therefore, gaining a sporting advantage.
Football Leaks documents allege that a company owned by former midfielder Yaya Toure received payments directly from Abu Dhabi United Group rather than the club themselves for image rights.
“Everything was transparent, there was nothing on the back side. Yaya paid everything – tax and everything,” Toure’s former agent Dimitry Seluk told The Guardian.
Manchester City have refused to comment further on the case, telling The Athletic: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.
“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”
No official punishment has been announced, but the belief is that given the scope of these charges, an unprecedented points deduction or even relegation is possible.
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