Manchester City have issued a strongly worded response to the Premier League Commission’s findings against the club, insisting they remain innocent and declaring that they will challenge the decision through every available regulatory and legal avenue.
The club said it was both “disappointed and surprised” by the Commission’s opinion published on Tuesday following the long-running case concerning City’s financial conduct.
City confirmed that they will now pursue the appeal mechanisms available to them and challenge the Commission’s opinion on multiple grounds. Because they expected the Premier League ’s leadership to act independently, impartially and without outside influence, city said they had continued to respect due process. City have rejected the conclusions and maintain that the evidence supporting their position has not been properly reflected in the ruling. Their response makes clear that they regard the current opinion as neither definitive nor beyond challenge. The club also stressed that the process itself remains unfinished, with what it described as significant elements still outstanding. “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe,” the statement added. The most pointed section of City’s response concerned the manner in which the club believes the case has been handled over the past eight years.
“The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case,” Manchester City said in their statement. “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,” City said.
Their position is unequivocal: the club rejects the findings, insists it possesses evidence supporting its case and intends to continue challenging the decision through the avenues available to it. The dispute is therefore set to move into another phase, with City maintaining that the Commission’s opinion contains serious legal and factual flaws.
