Disputes over how sports leagues, federations and clubs write, apply and enforce their rules, and over how those bodies and their owners are held to account.
Published coverage on this page: 1 case · 2 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
Read the caseLabels describe a response to the linked claim or the action explained in the statement summary. Choose one or more.
2 matching statements
Role at the time: Chair of the Independent Football Regulator, in a statement on the regulator's website
Statement summary
In a statement on the regulator's website on September 30, 2026, Independent Football Regulator chair David Kogan said the independent commission's decision "raises serious issues." He said the regulator can assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and will use those powers "where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals," that this includes "taking account of findings made by the Leagues," but that because the proceedings are ongoing it will "await further developments." He ended: "For now, we have no further comment."
Quotation excerpt
“The independent commission’s decision raises serious issues. The IFR has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and we will use these powers where appropriate, in the interests of protecting the…”
“The independent commission’s decision raises serious issues. The IFR has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and we will use these powers where appropriate, in the interests of protecting the sustainability, honesty and integrity of English football where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals. This includes taking account of findings made by the Leagues. However, as the proceedings remain ongoing between Manchester City and the Premier League we will await further developments. We hope it can be resolved quickly for the sake of fans. For now, we have no further comment.”
What this label refers to
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, Kogan calls the decision serious and says the regulator can take account of findings made by the leagues, but he conditions any action on clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals and says the regulator will wait while the proceedings continue. That combines an assessment with an express condition, so we used Mixed or conditional. The closest competing label is Explicitly stayed out, because he ends with "no further comment," but he first gives an assessment and describes how the regulator would act.
Role at the time: Spain captain and former Manchester City midfielder, at a Spain press conference before the match against England
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
“I think it's normal to go through these kind of situations and it's part of football today and everyone has to follow the rules and for me that's great. But they always press the confidence that they never did something wrong and we believe…”
“I think it's normal to go through these kind of situations and it's part of football today and everyone has to follow the rules and for me that's great. But they always press the confidence that they never did something wrong and we believe in that. That's the thing. Since the moment they proved wrong, we will believe the club.”
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, Rodri says he and his former team-mates believe the club's statement that it never did anything wrong, which endorses the club's denial. He also says that everyone has to follow the rules and, in the next sentence, which the audio renders as "Since the moment they proved wrong, we will believe the club," makes his belief depend on the club not being proved wrong. We used Mixed or conditional because the statement combines support for the club's denial with that condition. The closest competing label is Denied. He spoke before the commission's decision was 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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