Manchester City officially lodge appeal, insisting: We hold irrefutable evidence

Manchester City have officially lodged their appeal against the independent commission's findings regarding the Premier League charges for alleged financial breaches between 2009 and 2018. The panel found the club guilty on all counts relating to severe financial rule violations during that period, as well as on most charges concerning a failure to cooperate with the investigation. Facing a deadline to contest the ruling today, the Etihad hierarchy released a fresh statement confirming their appeal was submitted on Thursday evening.

The club's statement reads:

"Manchester City Football Club confirms that at 19:00 on Thursday, 1 October 2026, it lodged its detailed appeal against the findings of the Premier League Commission in relation to the league's disciplinary proceedings. It is the club's firm position that the determination contains obvious and material errors of law, fact, and principle, rendering it entirely unsound. The club has not committed the alleged breaches brought by the Premier League and possesses a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of all its positions in this case. We will continue to adhere to the established procedural rules and are restricted in providing further comment until all proceedings have reached a final conclusion."

British media revealed yesterday that City's legal team will centre their defence on the premise that the supplementary sponsorship funding came directly from the Abu Dhabi government rather than the club's owners.

Manchester City's majority owner is Newton Investment and Development LLC, a company controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Mansour is a senior member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family, as well as Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. The blurred line between UAE state funding and the royal family's private capital has long drawn intense debate and scrutiny.

Among the independent commission's key findings was that City had entered into "sham contracts" with multiple commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise covert funding worth in excess of £830 million.