Independent investigation panel finds Manchester City guilty of breaching Premier League rules

London, Sept 29 (KUNA) -- The English Premier League announced on Tuesday that an independent investigation panel found Manchester City guilty of charges related to breaches of numerous league regulations, particularly those concerning financial rules. In a statement, the league said that, according to the investigation’s findings, “it was established that Manchester City entered into sham contracts with numerous commercial partners between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons as part of a plan aimed at concealing secret funding exceeding £830 million (approximately $1.095 billion).” The statement clarified that the independent investigation panel “discovered during its inquiries that Manchester City relied on sham contracts and agreements to artificially inflate its revenues and reduce its costs.”

Manchester City’s management had strongly denied on Saturday last week any violation of the English Premier League’s financial regulations, affirming its intention to take all necessary steps to clear the club’s name. A hearing will be held before the independent panel following the substantiation of the charges against the club to discuss potential sanctions. This hearing will be held in private, in accordance with English Premier League rules, although the club has the right to appeal the panel’s findings. The league has set Friday, October 2, as the deadline for submitting an appeal request. (End)