Man City's Financial Foul Play: The Appeal Begins

They lodged this appeal on 1 October 2026. Sky Sports News broke that news after the commission dropped the hammer, finding them guilty on everything. What exactly did City do? Between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, investigators dug up a truly creative accounting scheme. They claimed City rigged up "sham" contracts with various commercial partners. A "disguised funding scheme," the suits called it, all designed to pump up club revenues by a cool £830 million. Quite a trick, if you ask me.

Over 100 breaches—that's what they were initially charged with back in February 2023. City hasn't once stopped denying any wrongdoing. Not for a second. Chief executive Ferran Soriano even dismissed the whole mess as a "conspiracy theory." Their latest statement just doubles down, trotting out the usual line about "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" backing their defense. Right.

Even the commission, bless its heart, had to admit it was "regrettable" that eight years had to pass before they finally got around to a decision. The hearings themselves ran from September to December 2024. Talk about moving at a snail's pace.

City's strategy for this appeal? It looks like they're going straight for the procedural jugular. Sky Sports News reports their legal eagles might argue the shiny new expedited appeal rules, rolled out this season, shouldn't apply retroactively to a case that's been cooking since 2023. A legal expert, sounding off to the broadcaster, suggested City might actually have a pretty strong case on that front. And if they pull it off? This appeal could drag on well into next year. Forget that tidy 12-week window the current rules promise. This could get messy, and protracted.