Man City could face further charges as Premier League confronted with 'dilemma'

Executives are pushing the Premier League to investigate Manchester City for seasons after 2018, questioning whether inflated sponsorship deals continued beyond the period covered by the 114-charge verdict.

Following Manchester City's guilty verdict on 114 financial rule breaches last month, an increasing number of Premier League executives are calling for the league to investigate the club for seasons since 2018 or bring further charges. The Independent Commission found that City and its Abu Dhabi-based sponsors were 'Related Parties' with inflated sponsorship deals disguised as owner investment. Since the commission's evidence showed this pattern through 2018, executives are questioning what changed overnight to stop the practice, particularly given that City's commercial income remained at similar levels afterward.

The original investigation was based on leaked emails covering 2009 to 2018, published by Der Spiegel in November 2018. However, the period after 2018 coincides with City's most dominant era under Pep Guardiola, including four consecutive Premier League titles and the 2022-23 treble with the Champions League. Some executives feel the Premier League has not adequately addressed questions about this period of success.

There is debate within the game about whether further investigation is warranted. Some argue there aren't clear grounds without evidence like the leaked emails, while others contend that if the relationships between City and their sponsors didn't change, the same pattern of disguised funding would form a basis for additional charges.