The story of Manchester City and 115 charges

It is the biggest disciplinary case in Premier League history.

The outcome will define top-flight football in the 2010s - as well as this decade.

It is a battle between Manchester City and the Premier League - but who will prevail?

Last week, round one went to the Premier League as an independent panel found City guilty of the majority of the 115 charges they faced.

But we still don’t know what the punishment might be, and City will appeal. 

The chaos is set to continue.

It’s a complex picture, and details of the case stretch back 17 years.

Here, we piece together City’s on-field endeavours with the alleged wrongdoing to lay out the timeline.

The joke was that Robinho didn’t know which Manchester club he was signing for, while others suggested he’d been lured by the cash on offer in the blue half of the city. “He's a great kid, but badly advised,” scoffed Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon of the 24-year-old.

Regardless, the Brazilian’s arrival at Manchester City for a British record transfer fee on 1 September 2008 was a statement of intent from Abu Dhabi United Group on the day it agreed to take the club off Thaksin Shinawatra’s hands, and in doing so changed the face of English football forever.

The new owners “bulldozed through the Premier League’s established order with a display of financial firepower that stunned Manchester United and left Chelsea bruised and humiliated”, wrote BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty of the Robinho coup. And there would be more to come.

“We really have deep pockets,” said Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, fronting the takeover. “Our goal is to make this football club one of the best not just in England but also in the world. To reach that goal there is no limit.”

But as City committed to their spending spree to the tune of more than £100m in summer 2009, snaring Carlos Tevez from neighbours Manchester United and Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal, European football’s governing body, Uefa, was becoming increasingly concerned by the finances of its clubs.

Of almost 650 top-flight clubs across 53 member nations, a Uefa report found more than half were operating at a loss. Financial fair play (FFP) was about to enter the football lexicon, as Uefa's general secretary at the time Gianni Infantino insisted: “The rules basically say, 'You cannot spend more than you generate'. They will reward those who play within the rules and have a sound and sustainable business model.”

Then president Michael Platini said the new laws, to be applied from 2011, would stamp out “financial doping” within football.

Mark Hughes’ appointment as City boss predated the new owners by three months, but come December 2009, for Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the City board, it was time to pull the plug. They had backed the Welshman with £200m worth of talent in 18 months, despite failed bids for John Terry, Samuel Eto’o and Kaka.

Roberto Mancini, who watched Hughes’ last hurrah as City boss from the stands, immediately replaced him, kicking off his tenure with a Boxing Day win over Stoke City. The move had the desired impact on City’s form but they were pipped to Champions League qualification by Tottenham Hotspur. 

Amid rumours City could dispense with Mancini, chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak insisted his job was safe. The Italian, meanwhile, said: “I am not a magician and I don't have a magic wand.”

Mancini may not have had a magic wand, but according to German magazine Der Spiegel’s report from the Football Leaks website, which was run by Portuguese whistleblower Rui Pintoand released a cache of confidential documents to the media, he did have a second income. In an alleged attempt to circumvent Uefa’s impending FFP rules, it is claimed Mancini was handed a lucrative deal as a consultant for Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club in the Arabian Gulf League, owned by Sheikh Mansour, worth £1.75m for a minimum of four days’ work per year, and more than his annual basic contract at City. Mancini, like Manchester City, has always denied any wrongdoing.

Over at Old Trafford, meanwhile, a banner reading “35 years” could be seen mocking City, ticking over every season since United’s rivals had last won something. Mancini vowed to take it down after his arrival in east Manchester, and finally banish Sir Alex Ferguson’s claims City were “all talk”.

After another £100m+ summer injection of talent, adding Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli, Yaya Toure, David Silva and James Milner to the squad, along with defenders Jerome Boateng and Aleksandar Kolarov, Mancini did just that.

The Italian set about proving the City hierarchy were right to stick with him by beating United in the FA Cup semi-final en route to ending the Citizens’ trophy drought in May 2011. Hours after United swept to a 19th league title, and with City assured of Champions League football for the first time, Mancini’s side beat Stoke at Wembley to win their first major prize since the 1976 League Cup. “This could be a turning point for us,” claimed the boss, as City players revealed their own “00 years” banner.

“There is a blue moon rising,” added another banner shown by the expectant fans. 

After a summer celebrating their first trophy in 35 years, City began preparing for life in the Champions League as Uefa’s FFP regulations took hold. This meant clubs were required to balance their books over three-year cycles, starting from 2011-12, with the first deadline in 2013.

With losses of £123.3m the previous season, City would have fallen foul of the new guidelines. And what would the punishment be for non-compliance? “The atomic bomb is a ban from European competition,” threatened Uefa’s Jean-Luc Dehaene.

That same summer, City’s Eastlands home got a new name. Etihad Stadium was born as the club signed a 10-year deal with the Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways airline, which was already their shirt sponsor, worth up to £400m. 

That deal came under scrutiny, including from Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Ian Ayre at Liverpool. “Are Etihad, City and Sheikh Mansour related parties? If they are, it’s up to Uefa to rule on them,” Liverpool managing director Ayre told the Independent.

City categorically deniedthe fee they negotiated with Etihad was artificially inflated, saying “figures being speculated about are not accurate”. “Manchester City is a proactive member of the European Clubs' Association and is working actively and with transparency with regard to financial fair play,” they added. “In light of these facts, recent comments about the partnership by some observers are unfounded and regrettable.”

In the end, their first Premier League triumph could not have been more dramatic. Needing a win over relegation-threatened QPR at the Etihad on the final day of the 2011-12 season to claim a first title since 1968, City found themselves 2-1 down in added time, having seemingly handed another championship to rivals United.

Dzeko nodded the hosts level before another substitute, Balotelli, falling and stretching, poked the ball into Sergio Aguero’s path for a 94th-minute winner. “I swear you’ll never see anything like this ever again!” exclaimed commentator Martin Tyler. Aguero, signed the previous summer for a club record fee, whipped his jersey off as pandemonium ensued, the normally suave Mancini scampering frantically to embrace his coaching staff. Manchester was blue.

Four years after taking over the club, and having spent almost half a billion pounds on transfers at a net loss of £345.9m, City’s owners had their first Premier League crown.

But, as was alleged in Der Spiegel's reports seven years later, this was when the club were about to bend Uefa’s financial rules, by allegedly inflating sponsorship deals with Etihad, Aabar and the Abu Dhabi tourism authority. These deals, it said, were supplemented by City owner Sheikh Mansour. Der Spiegel quoted an internal email, sent by club executive Simon Pearce in April 2010, regarding an annual £15m deal with investment company Aabar. It read: “As we discussed, the annual direct obligation for Aabar is £3m. The remaining £12m will come from alternative sources provided by His Highness.” City said the Abu Dhabi-based companieswere independent sponsors.

City’s summer recruitment was modest compared to previous years, with Englishmen Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair among the arrivals, and the following February Premier League clubs agreed to new spending controls. They stated clubs would not be allowed to make a total loss of more than £105m over the next three seasons, although investment in areas such as stadiums and academies would be exempt. “If people break the £105m we will look for the top-end ultimate sanction range - a points deduction,” insisted Premier League boss Richard Scudamore.

After Mancini’s outfit finished bottom of their Champions League group, they were also unable to follow up on their Premier League title, ending the season 11 points behind rivals United, who were inspired by the signing of Robin van Persie.

City did, however, reach the 2013 FA Cup final. There, they would face Wigan Athletic. In one of Wembley’s biggest shocks, Wigan, who would be relegated to the Championship a few days later, clinched a stunning 1-0 win thanks to Ben Watson’s 91st-minute header. Mancini, who was becoming increasingly outspoken, paid with his job.

According to Der Spiegel, though, Mancini’s sacking and subsequent pay-off left a £9.9m shortfall. Der Spiegel claim to have seen internal documents that show City officials discussed how to wipe that out. The German magazine reported that, in an internal email, City's chief financial officer Jorge Chumillas wrote: “We will have a shortfall of £9.9m in order to comply with Uefa FFP this season. The deficit is due to RM termination. I think that the only solution left would be an additional amount of AD sponsorship revenues that covers this gap.”

City responded by saying: “The attempt to damage the club's reputation is organised and clear.” They have maintained allegations are “entirely false” and came from “illegal hacking and out-of-context publication of City emails”.

Speaking after City had been found guilty, Mancini - now Italy head coach - was asked about the case.

"Found guilty of what?" he said. "It's not an issue that concerns me. It's nothing new because this matter has been discussed for the last four or five years.

"Manchester City has not been found guilty, and the alleged double contract is not my concern. It's their issue, not mine."

City stated Mancini’s departure was in part due to the need for a more “holistic approach”. So in June 2013, Chilean Manuel Pellegrini was brought in from high-flying Malaga, hot on the heels of comments to the press from chief executive Ferran Soriano that he wanted five trophies in the next five years. Pellegrini - nicknamed 'The Engineer' -  was armed with the arrivals of Jesus Navas, Fernandinho, Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo, while Carlos Tevez was among those to depart.

Pellegrini’s free-scoring City side duly delivered two trophies in one season. First, they lifted the League Cup in March 2014. Then, having scored 102 goals, City clinched a second Premier League title in May. “Big teams cannot be satisfied with one title,” insisted Pellegrini. “On Tuesday we start working for the next season.”

City may have won the title on Sunday and got back to work on Tuesday, but by Friday they were hit with a first round of Uefa FFP punishments for posting combined losses of almost £149m for the previous two seasons. The club were fined £49m, £32m suspended, and their Champions League squad was capped at 21 players. They were told they could not spend more than £49m on transfers, plus any fees received, and their wage bill must not rise. “At the heart of discussions is a fundamental disagreement between the club's and Uefa's respective interpretations of the FFP regulations on players purchased before 2010,” City responded. “The club believes it has complied with the FFP regulations on this and all other matters.”

The sales of Rodwell, Javi Garcia and Gareth Barry meant they were still able to dip into the market with the £41m arrival of Eliaquim Mangala, the £25m addition of Wilfried Bony and the £12m purchase of Fernando. Then, in December 2014, a new £200m state-of-the-art training complex was opened with the aim of attracting and developing the best young players in the world. “We are building a structure for the future, not just a team of all-stars,” reads a Sheikh Mansour quote on the wall.

City expanded elsewhere, too. The women’s team completed their first season in the WSL and won the League Cup. City Football Group, having created New York City FC a year earlier, added Melbourne City and a stake in Yokohama F Marinos to its roster.

Come May, Pellegrini was not able to add to his silverware haul, finishing second to Chelsea after City’s form dropped in the second half of the Premier League season. The Champions League again proved elusive, with an exit against Barcelona in the last 16. Luis Enrique’s side would go on to win the competition, while City ended the campaign trophyless. 

By the summer of 2015, Manchester City's pursuit of Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola was an open secret, though Pellegrini remained in charge as the club splashed out on Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Otamendi before the 2015-16 season. “It takes a special player to improve our squad,” said Pellegrini of De Bruyne after his club record £55m move.

In February 2016, City confirmed a deal for Guardiola. The Catalan would leave Germany at the end of the campaign to be reunited with City chief executive Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain. “Something was broken in that moment,” Pellegrini claimed. The Chilean limped to the end of his tenure with another League Cup win and by reaching the Champions League semi-finals. In the league, he handed over the baton with a fourth-placed finish.

The end of the 2015-16 season also marked the end of a period in which Uefa alleged City committed “serious breaches” of its club licensing and financial fair play regulations. An independent body found City broke the rules by “overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to Uefa between 2012 and 2016”. City said they were “disappointed but not surprised”by the “prejudicial” decision and the club would later win their appeal against the charges, saying it was “validation of the club's position and the body of evidence that it was able to present”.

Come the summer of 2016, City had a new manager, new badge and a number of new arrivals as they looked to shape the squad in Guardiola’s image. Among them were John Stones, Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus and Claudio Bravo, who replaced goalkeeper Joe Hart because of his perceived proficiency with the ball at his feet. But, despite Aguero’s 33 goals in all competitions, Guardiola ended the season trophyless for the first time in his managerial career.

Guardiola set about trying to win his first silverware in England by strengthening his backline in the summer of 2017. After Bravo and Willy Caballero failed to convince, goalkeeper Ederson was brought in, along with full-backs Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo, while centre-back Aymeric Laporte joined in January to take City’s spending on defensive reinforcements to £215m. Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and Pablo Zabaleta were among those moved on.

Meanwhile, La Liga president Javier Tebas hit out at City and Paris St-Germain, claiming their “funding by state-aid distorts European competitions and creates an inflationary spiral that is irreparably harming the football industry”. La Liga added in a statement: “Both PSG and Man City benefit from sponsorships that make no economic sense and lack any fair value.” Uefa responded by saying there was no current investigation into City with regards to FFP regulations. “Any reports mentioning such an investigation are unsubstantiated,” it added.

Guardiola’s second season proved a storming success. The EFL Cup became Guardiola’s first trophy in England, beating Arsenal in the final, but City also wrapped up the league by mid-April 2018, going on to smash a host of top-flight records to finish the season on 100 points. City produced “football we have never witnessed in the Premier League before”, said former England captain Alan Shearer about the centurions.

The 2017-18 season was also Yaya Toure’s last in City colours. He had been crucial to their early success after joining from Barcelona in 2010.

In the Premier League charges, however, City were accused of 14 counts of failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments between 2009-10 and 2017-18.

Der Spiegel’s report also raised questions over image-rights payments made to Toure’s agent, Dimitri Seluk, during that period. It says they came from the owners, rather than the club. Seluk, no longer Toure’s agent, told the Guardian in 2023there were no secret payments. “No, everything was transparent, there was nothing on the back side,” he said. “I am interested to see what happens as this was a surprise. Yaya paid everything - tax and everything. It was all transparent.”

Guardiola may have had a first Premier League title under his belt but that did not guarantee every player he wished for wanted to join City. The club missed out on Jorginho to Chelsea and Fred to rivals United in the summer of 2018, as they also had with Alexis Sanchez in January, but Guardiola was not perturbed.

“I want players who want to come here,” he said. It meant Riyad Mahrez, from Leicester City, was their only major signing of the window at a club record £60m, ending a drawn-out transfer saga. "Watching them from afar has been a pleasure,” said Mahrez.

Over four days in November 2018, Der Spiegel published a number of allegations against City. It said City allegedly misled Uefa by not revealing they had directed money to the club from Abu Dhabi owner Sheikh Mansour via sponsors linked to him, and artificially inflated the value of their commercial income to help meet FFP rules. City were also accused of using image rights to reduce their wage bill, and of paying former boss Mancini for his role as a consultant in Abu Dhabi. City said they would not comment on the claims and the attempt to damage their reputation was “organised and clear”.

Amid speculation the club could be banned from European competition, Guardiola insisted he was assured by chairman Al-Mubarak and chief executive Soriano that would not happen. “That's what I think because of what my chairman and my CEO have explained to me and I trust in them,” he added.

But in March 2019, Uefa said it would investigate, with a focus on “several alleged violations of FFP that were recently made public in various media outlets”. City responded by saying: "The accusation of financial irregularities is entirely false.” The club added that it welcomed a formal investigation “as an opportunity to bring to an end the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out-of-context publication of City emails”.

“The club's published accounts are full and complete and a matter of legal and regulatory record,” it said. ThePremier League followed Uefa’s leadby saying it would investigate alleged breaches of FFP, looking into financial matters and academy player recruitment. City claimed the allegations were “entirely false”, while Guardiola was adamant any outcome would not affect his legacy.

Any talk of financial breaches did not derail City on the pitch. Guardiola’s side, having also won the Community Shield, beat Chelsea on penalties to win the EFL Cup in February, pipped Liverpool to the Premier League in a thrilling title race in May and a week later thrashed Watford in the FA Cup final to complete an unprecedented domestic treble. But hopes of a quadruple were dashed at the Champions League quarter-final stage by Tottenham. Sterling scored what City thought was a 93rd-minute winner, but VAR overturned the goal for offside as the hosts crashed out on away goals in agonising fashion.

The quest for continental glory continued that summer when City paid a club record £62.8m to sign Spain midfielder Rodri from Atletico Madrid, with director of football Begiristain saying “he has all the attributes we are looking for”. Full-back Joao Cancelo arrived from Juventus for £60m, with Danilo going the other way for £34.1m.

But in February 2020, came a huge development.

City were banned from European competition for two seasons and fined £25m after Uefa found them to have committed “serious breaches” of its club licensing and financial fair play regulations, by “overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts” between 2012 and 2016. Uefa also said the club “failed to cooperate in the investigation”. City responded by saying they were “disappointed but not surprised” by the “prejudicial” decision and would appeal. “Simply put, this is a case initiated by Uefa, prosecuted by Uefa and judged by Uefa,” a statement said, insisting an independent and impartial process was needed.

It had little impact on the pitch. The following month, City added a fourth EFL Cup in five seasons.

But the season was about to take an unprecedented turn. On 10 March 2020, City’s Premier League fixture with Arsenal was postponed because of coronavirus precautions. Days later, the whole season was suspended as lockdown measures took hold in the UK. “We do our job for the people and if the people cannot come to watch us, there is no sense,” said Guardiola, suggesting he would prefer to postpone games rather than play without fans.

It took until June for City to return to action after the suspension of the Premier League, and they did so with a 3-0 win over Arsenal. It was Liverpool, however, who surged to the title behind closed doors. Guardiola’s side were also knocked out in the semi-finals of the FA Cup and lost to Lyon in the Champions League quarter-finals, having deployed a surprise back five and wing-backs. “In this competition, tactics is not the most important thing,” insisted Guardiola.

City’s biggest victory came in July, when their two-year European ban was overturned on appeal as the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared the club of “disguising equity funds as sponsorship contributions”. City's fine was also cut from 30m euros to 10m euros. The club said the decision was “validation of the club's position and the body of evidence that it was able to present”. “Privately, City are hugely satisfied with today's decision,” wrote BBC Sport chief football news reporter Simon Stone.

The Premier League kicked off later than usual in September - but crowds were still kept away. Guardiola addressed City’s weaknesses in defence by adding Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake, while Ferran Torres was bought as a replacement for Bayern Munich-bound Sane, who missed most of the previous season with an ACL injury.

Then, in April 2021, European football was rocked again.

City were one of six English teams to join a proposed European Super League, only to withdraw within 48 hours amid widespread backlash. Guardiola was critical of the plans: “It is not fair when one team fight, fight, fight, arrive at the top and cannot qualify because success is already guaranteed just for a few teams,” he said. “It is not a sport where success is already guaranteed.”

Five days later, Guardiola’s side beat Tottenham in the EFL Cup final - a match used as a test event for the return of fans to stadiums. The Catalan also collected a third Premier League - City’s fifth since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008.

But still the Champions League eluded them as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the final in May 2021, as Guardiola once again tinkered with his system in Europe. “Where do Manchester City go from here? This was the one Pep Guardiola wanted to win. They did not turn up on the night,” said former Premier League striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live.

That July, City also lost a ruling by the Court of Appeal, which confirmed the Premier League was continuing to investigate the club for alleged breaches of financial fair play. City’s legal team did not want it reported that it was challenging the jurisdiction of Premier League arbitrators to investigate the case.

Meanwhile, record goalscorer Aguero departed for Barcelona, but a £100m approach to replace him with Spurs striker Harry Kane was knocked back. Instead they spent that figure on Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish, making it a new British transfer record. “It’s a dream come true,” beamed Grealish.

Come April 2022, fresh allegations emerged in Der Spiegel suggesting the Premier League had been investigating City for three years, with a focus on allegations of illegal payments for underage players, inflated sponsorship deals and hidden salary payments made to Mancini.

When asked if he expected to be contactedby the Premier League, Mancini said: “No, I haven't been contacted or called up by anyone and I don't think anyone will contact me. I have paid my taxes, it is all above board so I don't think anyone will be in touch.”

Both thePremier League and Manchester City declined to comment, but it is understood City believed those details were a continuation of previous allegations. Guardiola also insisted he had “not spent one second” talking about them.

That month, they were beaten by Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final but won 4-3 against Real Madrid to take control of the Champions League semi-final. However, a remarkable collapse at the Bernabeu, despite leading by two goals heading into the final minute, meant Guardiola’s side once again came up short in Europe.

In the Premier League, it was a different story. City found themselves two goals down to Aston Villa on the final day of the season, but a Gundogan-inspired comeback steered them to a 3-2 victory that propelled City one point clear of Liverpool.

Addressing the striker-shaped hole left by Aguero’s departure a year earlier, City won the race for the highly sought-after goalscoring sensation Erling Haaland in summer 2022. “I am in the right place to fulfil my ambitions,” said the 21-year-old Norwegian, who arrived from Borussia Dortmund for £51.2m as Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko were allowed to join Arsenal and Sterling was sold to Chelsea. Those transfers plus the sale of several youngsters brought City in almost £150m, with £45m of that reinvested in Leeds and England midfielder Kalvin Phillips. They missed out on left-back Marc Cucurella, who joined Chelsea.

Haaland was outshone by Liverpool new boy Darwin Nunez when the Reds won the Community Shield, but hit the ground running in the top flight, finding the net at an astonishing rate.

But February 2023 brought the biggest development yet.

City were charged by the Premier League with 115 breaches of its financial rules following a four-year investigation. The club were referred to an independent commission over alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018. City were also accused of not co-operating since the investigation started in December 2018.

Cityresponded by sayingthey were “surprised” by the charges, “particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials” they said the Premier League was provided with. A statement added: “The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position. As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”

On the pitch, Haaland continued to score, smashing numerous records as he did so with 52 in 53 games in all competitions. That helped City to a fifth Premier League title in six years, enjoying complete domination of the competition which had brought charges against them. They also beat rivals United in the FA Cup final, with the Old Trafford banners mocking their lack of silverware fading further into distant memory.

But, most notably, Guardiola also finally delivered the holy grail of Champions League success, with Rodri’s winner against Inter Milan in Istanbul sealing a sensational Treble. “It was written in the stars,” said Guardiola. City chairman Khaldoon added: “We've tried so hard for so many years. And then to finally do it, it's relief, it's happiness, but it's really more relief.”

City won the Uefa Super Cup and doubled down on their Treble success in the summer by splashing out more than £200m on new signings, including Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku, Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes. Mahrez, Laporte and talented youngster Cole Palmer were among those to move on.

In November 2023, the club posted a Premier League record revenue of £712.8m for the 2022-23 financial year. “Our financial health and on-field success mean everyone connected to Manchester City can look forward to the future with excitement,” said Khaldoon. “Success today simply means further investment for tomorrow.”

That would prove true. City won the Club World Cup in December and then wrapped up a record fourth successive Premier League title in May 2024. It was Guardiola’s sixth in eight years at the club. Defeat in the FA Cup final by rivals United, however, brought to an end a 35-game unbeaten run.

By 2024, things were picking up - with on and off-the-field issues.

 City earned a small reprieve following their FA Cup defeat by neighbours United by beating them on penalties to win the Community Shield.

Yet they only made two additions in a summer shrouded in speculation over Guardiola’s future - Savinho for £21m from Troyes and the return of Gundogan on a free transfer from Barcelona. They made more than £150m in sales, with Julian Alvarez the most expensive departure. That preceded the hearing into their 115 charges from the Premier League getting under way in September 2024.

October brought the conclusion of a separate legal case against the Premier League over the league’s rules on commercial deals involving clubs’ owners. Both sides claimed partial victories, with some complaints upheld and two aspects of the associated party transaction (APT) rules deemed unlawful by a tribunal. Meanwhile, the Premier League said the tribunal rejected the majority of City’s challenges and “endorsed the overall objectives, framework and decision-making of the APT system”. That was not the end of the matter, however, with clubs voting to approve Premier League rule changes the following month despite City’s opposition. 

At the same time, City were facing their own challenges on the pitch. Director of football Begiristain announced he would leave the club at the end of the season after 12 years, to be replaced by Sporting’s Hugo Viana.

Guardiola, meanwhile, faced an unprecedented run of poor form - losing four successive games for the first time in his managerial career. Rodri, though, provided a highlight, becoming the first current City player to win the Ballon d’Or.

Guardiola, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, then signed a new deal until 2027. “I felt I could not leave now,” he said following City’s poor run.

After a frugal summer, City committed to the second-biggest January outlay in history with £180m worth of signings - among them Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov. It was only enough to secure a third-placed finish in the Premier League, some 13 points behind champions Liverpool, while Guardiola’s side lost in the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace, exited the Champions League in the knockout play-offs and the EFL Cup in the fourth round.

A new-look Club World Cup in summer 2025 offered another shot at silverware, with City adding Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki to their squad beforehand. Club legend De Bruyne, though, left Manchester for Naples after not being offered a new deal. The tournament proved lucrative in terms of prize money, with City earning almost £38m despite a surprise last-16 exit to Saudi outfit Al Hilal in the US. 

As the 2025-26 season began, City still had outstanding legal cases to wrap up. The club had mounted a legal challenge against the Premier League claiming ATP rules, which clubs voted to approve amendments on the previous November, were “unlawful”. In September 2025, both parties reached a settlement and agreed to terminate legal proceedings. As BBC sports editor Dan Roan said: “The peace deal concludes a long, bitter and very costly legal dispute between the Premier League and its most successful club over the past decade”.

There was no suggestion the ruling would impact the higher-profile financial disciplinary case.

City finished the season in second place to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, but won the FA Cup and League Cup. It was to be Guardiola’s final season after a trophy-laden 10-year spell in charge – a decade of success that for many now has an asterisk given the guilty verdict.

In his honour, it was announced that City's newly developed north stand would be named after him. "Ten years is a lot of time and I think the club needs a new manager, new energy, these incredible players we have right now and start to write another chapter,” Guardiola said.

Enzo Maresca was appointed as his successor, and the club backed the Italian, spending £458m in the summer window on a raft of new signings, including Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Iliman Ndiaye.

They won their first five league games to sit top of the table going into the new, longer international break.

Then the news emerged…

On Friday, 25 September, the Athletic broke the news the independent panel that had been considering its verdict since December 2024, had found City guilty.

BBC Sport understands City were found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges, though the details of those upheld and disproven ones are yet to be released.

The Premier League has made no comment. And it doesn’t look like it will until the case is closed. City have not commented on being found guilty but, in a statement, made it clear the process - by which they presumably they mean an appeal - was ongoing.

So, where are we?

We know City were guilty, but not the detail.

We don’t know how long it will take for the panel to convene a “sanction hearing” to decide a punishment.

We don’t know if this outcome will be announced before City’s appeal is completed.

But what we do know is that if the outcome is upheld, either a points deduction, huge fine or expulsion from the top flight are possible punishments.

City could be stripped of titles won in the period covered by the charges.

And if they win their appeal, after the past 17 years, can the asterisks over their success ever be fully removed?

Credits

Graphics by Andy Dicks
Images by Getty Images