New Update Regarding the Charges Against Manchester City.. The Club Reaffirms: We Are Innocent and Have Evidence

- The Premier League announced on Tuesday that an independent committee found Manchester City guilty of all charges related to financial rule violations over a span of 9 seasons. The committee concluded that the "Citizens" between the 2009/2010 and 2017/2018 seasons used "fictitious trading to artificially inflate the club's revenues."

It also found that the club provided "misleading accounts" and concealed "the true state of its finances from auditors and football regulatory bodies," in addition to "failing to cooperate" with the league's investigation. The Premier League statement said: "An independent committee has concluded that Manchester City has been found guilty of all charges related to serious violations of the financial rules of the Premier League over a span of 9 seasons, as well as most charges related to its lack of cooperation with the investigation conducted by the league."

The statement added: "The independent committee concluded that between the 2009/2010 and 2017/2018 seasons, Manchester City entered into contracts that contained misleading representations about the actual agreement between the parties, with several of its commercial partners, in addition to relying on fictitious agreements with other parties, in order to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs." It continued: "The club provided inaccurate accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from auditors and football regulatory bodies. Manchester City has blatantly violated the spending restrictions imposed by both the Premier League and UEFA."

It went on: "During the investigation conducted by the Premier League, Manchester City committed multiple violations of its obligations related to cooperation and the principle of absolute good faith towards the league (where three of the four alleged violations were proven to be true)." Manchester City responded, stating: "The club is disappointed and astonished by the Premier League committee's opinion published today (Tuesday). The club maintains its innocence regarding the charges brought against it by the Premier League and possesses compelling and comprehensive evidence supporting all its positions related to this case. Therefore, the club will continue its diligent fight and will take proactive measures when necessary, in all relevant regulatory and legal bodies."

He continued: "The procedures of the Premier League are still ongoing, with important elements not yet completed, and Manchester City will now resort to all available means of appeal, on the basis that the opinion contains clear substantive errors in law, principles, and facts, and that it is not sound." He added: "The club has seriously respected the due legal processes for eight years on the basis that the Premier League and the executive management would act as an independent, impartial, and fair regulatory body, free from partisan influence. It is clear that the club is restricted in what it can say further until all future procedures are completed."