Manchester City chairman claims innocence despite alleged breach of EPL financial rules

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Ahn Hong-seok = The chairman of Manchester City, who was found to have violated the financial regulations of the English professional soccer Premier League (EPL), claimed that he could still prove his innocence.

Chairman Khaldoon Almubarak posted a statement on the club's website on the 26th (local time) and said, "The EPL process still has a long way to go, and our conviction and will to prove the club's innocence are just as strong as when this started."

“There are so many things we would like to share with you so you can understand why we are so confident,” he said. “But we cannot because of the strict confidentiality requirements of the legal process. Even this letter has gone through multiple legal reviews to ensure compliance.”

The day before, The Athletic reported that Manchester City was found guilty on 114 of 115 charges at the EPL Independent Investigation Committee hearing.

From the 2009-2010 season to the 2017-2018 season, Manchester City was accused of violating UEFA regulations, including the Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, violating the EPL Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR), and failing to comply with the EPL investigation.

Manchester City has always maintained that it did not commit any wrongdoing, but according to a report from The Athletic, the independent investigation committee has already determined that most of Manchester City's allegations of rule violations are true.

Chairman Almubarak, however, said, "Some people have hastily drawn their own conclusions, and there is all kinds of noise swirling around us, but nothing has changed. We have overcome difficulties together before and have overcome them."

Attention is focused on how much sanctions Manchester City will receive.

With points being cut and even relegation following EPL expulsion being discussed, there is a possibility that if points are cut, Manchester City will be deprived of the title it has already won.

The period covered by the Independent Investigation Committee's hearing includes the reigns of managers Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini, and the first two years of the tenure of manager Pep Guardiola, who stepped down after 10 years at the helm at the end of last season.

During this period, Manchester City won 8 trophies, including 3 EPL titles, 3 League Cups, 1 Community Shield, and 1 FA Cup.

Previously, Everton was deducted 8 points for violating financial regulations in the 2023-2024 season, and Nottingham Forest was deducted 4 points in March 2024.

However, the charges filed against Manchester City are incomparable to these in scope and duration.

EPL clubs are receiving legal advice on compensation issues related to these charges.