English giant is denounced and may lose Premier League points

Manchester City were accused by the Premier League, the league responsible for the English Premier League, on Monday of breaching a series of financial rules between 2009 and 2018, a period in which the club established itself as one of the main forces in English and European football after its acquisition by the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

The league released a lengthy statement detailing a list of alleged breaches of City regulations after a four-year investigation, covering a period in which the team won three Premier League titles (2012, 2014 and 2018).

City are accused of failing to provide “accurate financial information that provides a true and fair view of the club’s financial position” between 2009 and 2018 or to provide “full details of managers’ remuneration in their relevant contracts” from 2009 to 2013.

Other alleged infringements include failure to comply with UEFA regulations from 2013 to 2018, Premier League profitability and sustainability rules from 2015 to 2018 and lack of cooperation in the league’s investigation from December 2018 to the present day. The Premier League said it had forwarded the allegations to an independent commission ahead of a confidential hearing.

Manchester City at risk of severe punishment

Manchester City could be at risk of severe punishment. The Premier League rulebook gives a disciplinary body powers to impose a range of sanctions, in addition to the broader scope of “any other penalty it deems appropriate”.

According to the English press, the loss of points on the leaderboard is not ruled out. The team led by Spanish coach Pep Guardiola is currently in second place, with 45 points, five behind leader Arsenal.

At the end of January, Juventus were punished with the loss of 15 points in the Italian Championship for accusation of tax fraud. The club responds to Justice for making a profit through a scheme to receive illegal commissions from transferred and loaned players.

City is chaired by Khaldoon Al Mubarak, a businessman from the United Arab Emirates and CEO of Mubadala Investment Company, a public finance company from the United Arab Emirates. His fortune is estimated at US$ 25 billion (R$ 137 billion).