An independent commission determined that Manchester City committed repeated violations of league spending limits by misrepresenting its commercial income and hiding expenses for nearly a decade. The panel found the club used "sham" commercial contracts to artificially inflate terms of sponsorship and boost its revenue by more than £900 million between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. This ruling covers nearly all of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League, including evidence that the club intentionally obstructed a four year probe into its bookkeeping.

The Premier League has not announced specific sanctions, though penalties could include points deductions or expulsion from the league. Manchester City denies any wrongdoing and has until Oct. 2 to appeal the findings. While former manager Pep Guardiola has publically supported the club, one of the organization's top sponsors has threatened legal action against the league.