Commission finds Man City witnesses gave false testimony, reports vg.no

Manchester City faces potential relegation from the Premier League after an independent commission found the club guilty on 114 of 115 charges relating to alleged financial rule breaches spanning the 2009-10 through 2017-18 seasons, as reported by vg.no. The disciplinary panel concluded that several club witnesses gave false and deliberately dishonest testimony.

Commission Finds Manchester City Witnesses Provided False Testimony

The published portion of the commission's decision details severe criticism of Manchester City's witnesses. vg.no reported that the panel explicitly stated testimonies from witnesses called by the club were untrue on vital points, with certain individuals knowingly providing false information and acting dishonestly. In the 40-page published portion of the ruling, several of City's 27 witnesses received harsh criticism following a hearing that lasted 42 days.

Legal experts consulted by vg.no described the findings as highly unusual in sports tribunals. Pål Kleven of Advokatfirma Kleven & Kristensen noted that while tribunals occasionally disbelieve witnesses, direct conclusions of deliberate falsehoods from witnesses are extremely rare. Espen Auberg in Advokatfirmaet SME added that the sheer scale of the non-cooperation and false statements exceeds typical sports disciplinary cases and will weigh heavily against the club in subsequent sanction decisions. Auberg previously worked in the legal department of the Norwegian Football Federation and served as secretary for the NFF's appeals committee.

Disputed Transactions Reach 830 Million Pounds

An article reported that the underlying charges represent a financial scandal for English football, anchored around an estimated 830 million pounds in disputed transactions and funding structures. The investigation, originally triggered by internal documents published by the German magazine Der Spiegel, centers on inaccurate financial reporting, concealed payments to players and managers, and breaches of UEFA and Premier League rules.

Dagbladet noted that Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano strongly denied any wrongdoing during an internal leaked video addressed to club employees, dismissing the allegations as conspiratorial. However, Dagbladet highlighted that internet users and media outlets scrutinized the executive's three-and-a-half-minute address after observing that he did not blink once throughout the recording, prompting speculation addressed by sports media. Oliver Brown wrote in The Telegraph that Man City-sjefens latterlige videoforsvar er skamløst.

Premier League May Deduct Points or Expel Club

Sanctions available to the Premier League include reprimands, fines, points deductions, and expulsion from the competition. Wing Ming Choi, head of sports law at the law firm Culbert Ellis, stated to Dagbladet that the regulations provide the commission with a wide range of sanction possibilities, including fines, points deductions, compensation, and a recommendation for league expulsion. Legal specialists interviewed by vg.no suggest that if the core findings are upheld on appeal, relegation from the Premier League becomes a realistic outcome. Signals from England indicate that sanctions cannot be purely financial.

Berge pointed out to vg.no that a confirmed conviction could also trigger retroactive points deductions for past seasons, potentially stripping the club of previous league titles. David Bernstein, Manchester City's chairman from 1998 to 2003, told vg.no that the club cannot remain in the Premier League if the allegations are fully proven, arguing that financial penalties alone carry little weight for the club's Abu Dhabi owners.

Manchester City Appeals Ruling Amid Player Retention Concerns

Manchester City has continuously rejected all charges, describing the commission's assessment as containing serious errors. The club filed an official appeal on a Friday. Chairman Al Mubarak and manager Pep Guardiola have marked another league title in 2024.

An article reported that the uncertainty extends to player rosters, including star striker Erling Haaland, who is under contract with the club until 2034. Legal and sports analysts note that a potential relegation or loss of major sponsorship income raises open questions regarding player retention and compensation claims from rival clubs who finished behind City during the disputed seasons, as well as teams such as Stoke and Watford, which lost FA Cup finals against City in 2011 and 2019.

More on this story: Manchester City inflated accounts by over £900m, commission finds