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Manchester City is on the verge of facing charges that could lead to relegation and potentially dismantle everything the club has built with massive investments from Abu Dhabi.
Since the Abu Dhabi United Group, owned by Mansour bin Zayed, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, acquired Manchester City in August 2008, the club has gradually become one of the biggest and most successful in the world. Alongside their on-field success, epitomized by one of the greatest coaches of all time, Pep Guardiola, the club has also reached the pinnacle in business terms. In 2023, Deloitte ranked Man City as the second most profitable football club globally, with revenues of €825 million.
Forbes estimates that the "Cityzens" are worth $4.25 billion, making them the sixth most valuable football club in the world.
However, since UEFA and the Premier League introduced Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations in the 2011/12 season, strictly controlling spending relative to income, Manchester City has faced a myriad of legal challenges. The "Football Leaks" documents, obtained by Portuguese hacker Rui Pinto and published over the past six years by the German publication Der Spiegel, have been particularly damaging. These documents reveal how Manchester City officials allegedly attempted to circumvent FFP regulations.
Manchester City successfully avoided UEFA sanctions by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where UEFA made a significant mistake, leading to the dismissal of the case. UEFA had demanded that City provide an uncensored series of incriminating emails (six emails in total) showing FFP violations, but City’s lawyers did not comply. Instead of insisting on their request, UEFA withdrew it, and the court ruled in favor of the English club. This was not a conspiracy, but rather UEFA’s eagerness to conclude the matter quickly, coupled with overconfidence in their case.
But what about the 115 FFP violations that Manchester City is facing on their "home turf"? The Premier League's lawsuit poses a much more serious threat. There is more evidence, and it is highly incriminating. The entire series of email exchanges (not just the censored six) is available, clearly showing how the club allegedly manipulated financial rules.
In late May 2012, City official Graham Wallace and board member Simon Pearce, who is also an advisor to the UAE government, openly discussed how much money the club needed and how they could funnel it into the club’s accounts as "sponsorship funds" despite the restrictions. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are numerous other emails and attached documents from 2012 to 2015.
An independent Premier League commission will adjudicate the matter. The first hearing was initially scheduled for November this year but has been moved to mid-September. It has been a year and a half since the Premier League charged City with these violations, and it seems that the "Cityzens" have run out of room for delay.
If the club is found guilty, they could face a points deduction or even relegation to a lower league, according to the regulations. This would have a significant impact on the battle for the English title and the near future of the most successful English club of the past decade.