Manchester City have formally appealed against a guilty conviction by an independent committee over serious violations of Premier League financial regulations, saying the decision is riddled with substantial mistakes of law, principle and fact.
The team said it submitted its “comprehensive Appeal” at 7pm on Thursday October 1, a day before the deadline set by the Premier League. The City stated it continues to assert its innocence from the claims and that it has proof to support its case.
The appeal comes after the independent commission ruled Manchester City had committed a breach of Premier League financial laws over a nine-season span from 2009-10 to 2017-18.
City had structured what it called “sham” commercial arrangements, misstated records and failed to adequately report the club’s financial status, the Premier League said the panel found. The panel also found most of the charges of City’s assistance with the league’s inquiry upheld.
The Premier League said the committee found the agreements had inflated the club’s earnings and decreased its stated expenditures in an artificial way, leading to serious violations of spending rules of both the Premier League and UEFA.
Manchester City have contested the conclusions vigorously.
‘There are clear material mistakes in the conclusion of the commission,’ claimed the club in an appeal statement, calling the ruling dangerous. City also stated it would follow due process but was limited in what it could say publicly while the processes are active.
A key point in the lawsuit is the financing of sponsorship deals with corporations affiliated to Abu Dhabi. The commission dismissed City’s explanation of certain sponsorship income, but the club says the deals were valid and the commission did not adequately consider the data backing its conclusion.
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The appeal will now be examined by a newly established three member Appeal Board. The disciplinary process of the Premier League allows for an Appeal Board to allow or dismiss an appeal, or to make any other order in relation to the decision of the commission.
The appeal process is expected to take weeks. The appeal hearing is to be held within 12 weeks of the appeal being lodged, with a verdict expected within 30 days once the hearing has concluded, The Independent writes.
Meanwhile, the matter of sanctions remains unresolved. A secondary hearing will determine what, if any, punishment follows the commission’s conclusions, the Premier League said. The league’s regulations provide for a range of sanctions, including sporting and financial sanctions.
The Football Association also stated it was looking at the consequences of the commission’s ruling. The FA stated the findings were of major importance to the integrity of English football and that it would take action if warranted.
For now the long-running financial case remains unsolved with Manchester City appealing and the club continuing to challenge the commission’s conclusions ahead of the next stage of the disciplinary procedure.
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