Manchester City chief claims 'conspiracy' as UAE-owned club found guilty of financial violations charges

Manchester City chief claims 'conspiracy' as UAE-owned club found guilty of financial violations charges An independent commission on Tuesday revealed that Manchester City Football Club has been found guilty on all 115 charges related to financial rules violations.

The club engaged in "sham" commercial contracts to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than $1bn, the findings showed.

"The Club’s financial statements had not been prepared and audited in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory principles," the commission wrote.

It was "reckless" and "acted other than with utmost good faith", it added.

In a video sent to staff and players and obtained by Sky Sports News, City's chief executive, Ferran Soriano, called the investigation a "Premier League conspiracy theory".

Read more: Manchester City chief claims 'conspiracy' as UAE-owned club found guilty of financial violations charges Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is pictured during the Fifa Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 football match between his team and Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal, at the Camping World stadium in Orlando, Florida, on 30 June 2025 (Patricia De Melo/AFP)