Premier League clubs seek compensation advice after Manchester City ruling

Premier League clubs are taking legal advice about possible compensation after Manchester City were found guilty of most of the financial-rule charges against them, BBC Sport reported on Saturday. The BBC said it had been told City would appeal. No sanctions have been announced, and the Premier League has not publicly confirmed the findings.

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The case concerns allegations that City inflated sponsorship income from connected businesses and made payments outside their accounts to get around financial rules. According to the BBC, the charges were brought in February 2023 after a four-year investigation. An independent commission's hearing ended 22 months before news of the findings emerged. The league has declined to comment.

Football law specialist Paul Gilroy KC told BBC Radio 4 that four clubs had already lodged protective claims, preserving their ability to seek compensation if City were found guilty. Former club executive Christian Purslow warned that claims could extend across multiple seasons, covering losses associated with league positions, missed Champions League qualification and relegation. Those potential losses have not been established as compensation awards.

The Guardian reported that City continue to deny all the charges and are expected to challenge the decision. In a statement issued on Friday, a club spokesperson said the disciplinary process was still underway, important stages remained unfinished and confidentiality restrictions applied. City said their position remained the one set out when the charges were announced in February 2023.

The ruling also prompted a response from manager Enzo Maresca. When the Guardian asked on Saturday whether he was seeking assurances from City about their continued denial of wrongdoing, his representatives supplied a screenshot of an Instagram post. It contained a quotation attributed to Socrates about the limits of knowledge, alongside Maresca's own references to taking time to reflect and learn.

Former City chairman David Bernstein, who led the club from 1998 to 2003, called for any appeal to be completed promptly. Speaking to Times Radio, as reported by the Guardian, he argued that a financial penalty alone would be inadequate if the findings survived an appeal. He did not specify a punishment, while stressing the strain that prolonged proceedings would place on supporters and English football.