Manchester City have been charged by the Premier League with breaking more than 100 financial rules following a four-year investigation.
Alleged breaches are said to have been committed across nine different seasons between 2009-10 and 2017-18 and will be referred to an independent commission.
The charges against the Citizens relate to financial information regarding revenue, including sponsorship revenue and operating costs.
Further alleged breaches relate to details of manager remuneration between 2009-10 and 2012-13 – when Roberto Mancini was in charge – and player remuneration within the relevant contracts between 2010-11 and 2015-16.
Should the commission find Man City guilty of the breaches, they could face a range of sanctions including a points deduction.
A statement from the Premier League read: "In accordance with Premier League Rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today [February 6 2023] referred a number of alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules by Manchester City Football Club (Club) to a commission under Premier League Rule W.3.4.
"Commissions are independent of the Premier League and member clubs. The members of the commission will be appointed by the independent chair of the Premier League judicial panel, in accordance with Premier League rules W.19, W.20 and W.26.
"The proceedings before the commission will, in accordance with Premier League rule W.82, be confidential and heard in private. Under Premier League rule W.82.2, the commission's final award will be published on the Premier League's website.
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"This confirmation is made in accordance with Premier League rule W.82.1. The Premier League will be making no further comment in respect of this matter until further notice."
In February 2020, Man City were fined £25m and banned from the Champions League for two years by UEFA for "serious breaches" of club licensing and financial fair play regulations between 2012 and 2016.
However, this punishment was lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and their fine was reduced to £9m as 'most of the alleged breaches were either not established or time-barred.'
Man City have won six Premier League titles, six EFL Cups, two FA Cups and three Community Shields since the 2008 takeover by Sheikh Mansour and City Football Group.
Eleven of those trophies have been lifted under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, who took the reins as manager in the summer of 2016.
The Citizens currently sit second in the Premier League table, five points behind leaders Arsenal – who have a game in hand – while they are also competing in the fifth round of the FA Cup and the last 16 of the Champions League.
Man City have since responded with a 79-word statement revealing that they are "surprised" by the alleged financial breaches of Premier League rules.
Oliver Thomas
