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Manchester City have been caught surprised by Premier League charges on Monday. The league has referred the Cityzens to an independent commission after finding over 100 breaches of their financial rules.
The reigning Premier League champions have been accused of not sharing the full details of the manager's remuneration from the 2009-10 to 2012-13 season when Roberto Mancini was in charge. Furthermore, the club have also been accused of not sharing the complete contract details and remunerations paid to players from the 2010-11 to 2015-16 season.
Manchester City have been further accused of withholding information relating to their sponsors and the revenue generated from them. The Premier League have claimed that the breaches started in the 2009-10 season and continued until the 2017-18 season.
Pep Guardiola's side have also not complied with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules for the 2013-14 season and the Premier League's rules on profit and sustainability for the next four seasons from 2014 to 2018.
Manchester City were banned by UEFA from the Champions League for two seasons but had their ban overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2020 following an appeal. They also had their fine reduced from €30 million to €10 million.
The Premier League's final charge on the Cityzens has been that of non-cooperation since December 2018. The claim is that the Cityzens have not acted in good faith and failed to provide documents and information from the 2018-19 season onwards to help with the investigation.
Manchester City surprised by Premier League charges
Manchester City have expressed their surprise following the charges made by the Premier League. They have welcomed the independent commission to look into the matter and believe that the ruling will be in the club's favor.
On their club website, City released a statement:
"Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with. The Club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position. As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all."
Reports suggest that the Cityzens could be handed a points deduction for the breaches and could also face relegation should over 50% of the charges prove correct.
