An agreement from six years ago giving immunity to chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak may complicate the legal consequences of Manchester City's recent financial rule violations. An independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of 115 charges of breaching Premier League regulations between 2009 and 2018, including the use of sham contracts to inflate revenues by more than £900 million. The panel also ruled that the Abu Dhabi-owned team repeatedly failed to cooperate with a four year investigation into its financial dealings.

Manchester City has until Oct. 2 to appeal the findings, though CEO Ferran Soriano indicated that resolving the process will take more time. Potential sanctions include fines, points deductions or expulsion from the league. While a top sponsor has threatened to sue the league over the ruling, Pep Guardiola has publicly voiced his support for the club.