Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano has issued a sharp statement regarding the recent decision by an independent Premier League (EPL) commission, which found the club guilty of numerous financial rule breaches. The club's management categorically rejects all charges, viewing the verdict as the result of a biased campaign and a pre-planned persecution. According to the top manager, the club intends to use all available legal mechanisms to defend its reputation in higher instances.
Essence of claims and club position
The independent commission delivered a guilty verdict in a case covering the period from the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons. As Ferran Soriano noted in a special video message to the organization's employees, the accusations are based on a single false premise: the alleged secret transfer of the owner's personal funds through sponsorship structures from Abu Dhabi. Manchester City's legal team spent nearly two years providing detailed bank statements, transactions, and witness testimonies, but the commission, according to management, ignored these facts.
Contradictory data
While the independent EPL commission insists on having solid evidence of financial manipulation and concealment of real funding sources by the club, Manchester City's management claims the opposite. Club representatives assert that all official financial documents and bank statements provided by them were completely ignored by the judges. The dispute lies in interpreting the origin of sponsorship revenues: the EPL sees them as hidden owner injections, while the club proves their independent market character.
Appeal plans and consequences
The announced appeal will become a new stage in the protracted confrontation between the football giant and the league management. Experts note that this scandal could significantly affect the balance of power in English and European football, given the scale of possible sanctions. Manchester City intends to prove its innocence to the end, emphasizing that the commission's decision damages not only the club but the entire image of the Premier League as an objective sports organization.
