Manchester City found guilty of concealing over $1bn in financing; club files appeal

An independent commission ruled Manchester City guilty on most Premier League charges, including hiding more than $1bn in funding through sham sponsorship agreements.

• The commission found the club concealed over $1.05bn in financing through sponsorship deals it deemed sham arrangements.
• Manchester City filed an appeal, citing "material errors" in the ruling and saying it holds conclusive evidence of innocence.
• The case traces to a 2017 email disguised as a UEFA report that gave hacker Rui Pinto access to the club's internal servers.
• The club spent roughly £1.2bn on transfers between 2009 and 2018, more than any other side, with over a quarter going to Premier League clubs.
• Spanish journalist Guillem Balague, Guardiola's biographer, said the scandal has ended any chance of the City manager coaching England.
• Journalist Duncan Castles said Manchester City's final defense was rejected as fabricated and late, warning of possible Premier League expulsion.
• Rui Pinto, whose Football Leaks disclosures triggered the probe, said his witness protection ends on October 10 and he will go into hiding.