Disputes involving professional and international association football (soccer), including clubs, leagues, players, managers and the bodies that regulate them.
Published coverage on this page: 1 case · 4 statements. Statements are ordered newest first.
An independent commission found Manchester City arranged "sham" sponsorship contracts to disguise owner funding between 2009/10 and 2017/18. City denies it, says the decision is unsafe and will appeal. As of October 1, 2026, no sanction has been set.
Published
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4 matching statements
Role at the time: Manchester City chief executive, in an internal video message to staff
Response to this claim
Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano said in a video to staff on September 29, 2026 that the Premier League case against the club "is based on a single false accusation" that the owner's personal money was somehow and secretly put into the club through sponsors from Abu Dhabi, and that bank statements, money transfers and witnesses show "the money did not come from the owner."
Quotation excerpt
“This has gone on for so long that it's important to remind ourselves that the whole Premier League case against us is based on a single false accusation. That the owner's personal money was somehow and secretly put into the club via some…”
“This has gone on for so long that it's important to remind ourselves that the whole Premier League case against us is based on a single false accusation. That the owner's personal money was somehow and secretly put into the club via some sponsors from Abu Dhabi. This is just not true. Irrefutable evidence has been provided to the Premier League Commission that shows that it could not happen and that it did not happen. This includes bank statements, money transfers, witnesses and everything necessary to categorically demonstrate the money did not come from the owner. Every other false charge that has been thrown at us and aggressively marketed and promoted comes from that simple, central and completely false accusation. Surprisingly for us and for our lawyers, after nearly two years, the Premier League Commission has issued an opinion that supports the Premier League's conspiracy theory. To do so, the opinion had to actually ignore the extensive evidence provided by the club in order to reach a conclusion that is clearly wrong.”
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, Soriano calls the central accusation false ("This is just not true") and the commission's conclusion "clearly wrong." That is a flat rejection of the finding, so we used Denied. The closest competing label is Challenges the characterization, because he calls the league's case a "conspiracy theory" and the decision an "opinion," but he goes beyond disputing labels and says the owner's money did not enter the club.
Role at the time: Manchester City FC, in a club statement issued the day the Premier League published the commission's decision
Response to this claim
Manchester City said on September 29, 2026 that the club "is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League," that "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions," and that the commission's opinion "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."
Quotation excerpt
“Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission, that has been published today. The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of…”
“Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission, that has been published today. The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums. The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe. The Club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence. The Club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete.”
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, the club says it is innocent of the accusations and that irrefutable evidence supports its positions. That rejects the finding outright, so we used Denied. The closest competing label is Challenges the characterization, because the statement also criticizes the commission's opinion and the league's process, but it goes further and states the club's innocence.
Role at the time: Former Manchester City and England goalkeeper, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club
Response to this claim
Manchester City said on September 29, 2026 that the club "is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League," that "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions," and that the commission's opinion "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."
Quotation excerpt
“If Man City are found guilty, which I don't think they are because of what Khaldoon said, then there's conversations to be had. But right now I'm very confident and very, very calm. I'm very proud of what I've achieved and what I did with…”
“If Man City are found guilty, which I don't think they are because of what Khaldoon said, then there's conversations to be had. But right now I'm very confident and very, very calm. I'm very proud of what I've achieved and what I did with Manchester City and what we achieved as a team. And that doesn't change. That doesn't change until you tell me.”
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, Hart says he does not think City are guilty, relying on the chairman's letter, and says he remains very confident. That rejects the finding, so we used Denied. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because he adds that if City are found guilty there are conversations to be had, but his stated view is that they are not guilty. He spoke before the commission's decision was published.
Role at the time: Chairman of Manchester City, in an open letter to supporters
Response to this claim
Manchester City said on September 29, 2026 that the club "is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League," that "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions," and that the commission's opinion "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."
Quotation excerpt
“Here’s what I said to my family: The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began. There are so many things that I would like to be…”
“Here’s what I said to my family: The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began. There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position. But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies.”
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, the chairman says the club's confidence in proving its innocence is as strong as when the case began and that the club feels confident in its position. That asserts innocence and rejects the reported finding, so we used Denied. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because the letter looks ahead to proving innocence and was written before the commission's reasons were published.
Rodri, whose full name is Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for FC Barcelona and is captain of the Spain national team. He played for Villarreal and Atletico Madrid before joining Manchester City in 2019, and Barcelona announced on August 18, 2026 that he had signed from City on a contract running to June 30, 2030. He won the Ballon d'Or in 2024.
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