Man City respond to guilty verdict with official statement

26 Sept 2026 17:04 BST |
4 min read

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Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has issued an official statement in response to the club reportedly being found guilty of the majority of their charges relating to alleged financial breaches.

On Friday, The Athletic dropped a bombshell report on perhaps the biggest legal battle in the history of football when it announced that the independent commission overseeing the case had deemed Man City guilty of 114 of the 115 charges levelled against them.

In 2023, the Premier League initiated legal proceedings against the Manchester club after leaks from Der Spiegel laid bare alleged foul play relating to the breach of financial regulations.

Specifically, City stand accused of having failed to provide accurate financial information and details of payments, while also falling foul of the Financial Fair Play rules of both the Premier League and UEFA. The club have denied all accusations.

The alleged breaches were committed between 2009 and 2018 following the club’s acquisition by the Abu Dhabi United Group in August 2008. The legal process remains ongoing, with sanctions yet to be decided. Man City are expected to appeal the ruling.

Chairman statement

On Friday, the club released a statement in response to the news, writing: “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 that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”

The February 2023 statement referred to reads as follows: “Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with.

“The Club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.

“As such, we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”

Now, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has also published a statement. “I have been part of this Club for 18 years. I have had the privilege to stand with you in the Etihad, at Wembley, and in Istanbul,” he wrote.

“This Club matters to me, and you have shown and told me – time and time again – how much Manchester City matters to you. This is why I am writing to you today.

“Following Friday’s media reporting, many of you will have spent your evening answering questions and responding to messages from friends, family and colleagues. So have I. Here’s what I said to my family: The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began.

“There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position. But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies.

“I ask you to please carefully read the statement, which we gave on Friday, and the statement we issued in February 2023. Every word matters and holds true.

“While some people have been quick to reach their own conclusions, and there is so much noise swirling around us, nothing has changed. We have faced challenges together before and have prevailed. There remain many who want to undermine the momentum of our Club. We will not give them that opportunity.

“We have some exciting moments to look forward to after this international break. We travel to Anfield in a fortnight, and then host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League back at Etihad Stadium – moments that give us an opportunity to celebrate the strength of the Manchester City family.

“Thank you, as always, for your constant support.”

Gallagher wades in

Naturally, given the seismic nature of the news, this topic has dominated the headlines. Even Noel Gallagher, perhaps Man City’s most famous supporter, has given his thoughts on the matter.

Speaking on the Let Me Talk podcast, the legendary Oasis songwriter revealed his response to the news: “A little surprised when I heard it on the radio, only because the club have assured us all along that they vehemently deny any of these charges.

“So it was a bit of a shock to find we’ve been found guilty of all but one, but really overall quite sad, really. Sad for the fans and the players.”

When asked whether the verdict had changed his perspective on Man City’s success during the period of the alleged breaches, such as the famous Sergio Aguero moment to win the Premier League in 2012, Gallagher responded negatively.

“Our focus as fans is always on the pitch, and we know what we saw: you know, they won it on the pitch. Whatever goes on in the boardroom, it’s nothing to do with the supporters or the players. The players won the game and won that title on the pitch.

“Now, whether some of those players should have been there or not, that’s nothing to do with the fans. We were there, we know what we saw. Does it taint it? I mean, I suppose in the eyes of everybody else in England it would, but I know what I saw, and I know what I felt.”

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Tom Weber is an experienced, multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer as part of his freelance work for FootballTransfers.

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