Manchester City’s guilty verdict is one of the biggest stories in Premier League history – but the sheer scale of the case can be difficult to get your head around.
Hundreds of millions of pounds in disputed sponsorship income, more than a billion spent on players and a trophy haul that transformed the club. The charges relate to alleged financial breaches between 2009 and 2018, a period in which City transformed into one of English football’s dominant forces.
So forget the legal jargon for a moment. Here is the Manchester City case explained through the numbers that matter.
£830.69m – Sponsorship Income Paid by City’s Owners
This is the number at the heart of the financial story.
According to the independent commission findings, Manchester City recorded £949.94m in sponsorship income between 2009/10 and 2017/18.
But the findings state that only £119.25m was actually paid by the sponsors themselves, with £830.69m instead coming from the club’s owners.
That means around 87% of the sponsorship income covered by those figures was funded by City’s owners.
Why does that matter? Sponsorship is recorded as club revenue, and greater revenue gives clubs more room to spend while complying with football’s financial regulations.
£1.2bn – Spent on New Players
City spent approximately £1.2 BILLION on transfers between summer 2009 and January 2018.
That money completely transformed their squad.
Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Touré and Kevin De Bruyne were among the stars who arrived as City went from Premier League challengers to one of Europe’s most powerful teams.
It doesn’t mean the £830m of disputed income was simply spent directly on transfers – clubs have wages and many other expenses too – but it shows the enormous financial scale of the period.
7 – Major Trophies Won
All that spending was followed by unprecedented success.
City won seven major domestic trophies during the 2009-2018 period:
- 3 Premier League titles
- 1 FA Cup
- 3 League Cups
Before that transformation, City had not won a major trophy since 1970.
By 2018, they had become one of the dominant forces in English football.
3 – Premier League Titles
Three of those trophies were Premier League titles:
- 2011/12 – Manchester United finished second
- 2013/14 – Liverpool finished second
- 2017/18 – Manchester United finished second
That first title produced arguably the most famous moment in Premier League history – Sergio Aguero’s 93:20 winner against QPR.
Now, with City found guilty, questions are inevitably being asked about what happens to the trophies won during the period.
£145.73m – Sponsorship Income Recorded in 2017/18
The season-by-season figures show how dramatically City’s recorded sponsorship income increased.
In 2009/10, the total was £27m.
By 2017/18, it had risen to £145.73m.
According to the commission findings, just £11m of the 2017/18 figure was actually paid by sponsors, with the remaining £134.73m attributed to payments from City’s owners.
That was also the season City became the first Premier League team to reach 100 points.
114 of 115 – Charges City Were Found Guilty Of
Then there is the number that brought the entire story back into the spotlight.
City were reportedly found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them following the Premier League investigation.
The case covers allegations relating to financial information, sponsorship revenue and other financial regulations across several seasons.
City have maintained their innocence and the process is not yet over, with an appeal expected.
The Numbers Tell the Story
£830.69m reportedly provided by City’s owners under sponsorship income.
£1.2bn spent on new players.
Seven major trophies.
Three Premier League titles.
114 of 115 charges reportedly resulting in guilty findings.
Those numbers show why this isn’t just another Premier League financial case.
The next number everyone is waiting for is the one attached to Manchester City’s punishment.
