The roots of this legal battle trace back to the 2008 takeover by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group, a move that transformed City into a dominant force. During the specific decade under scrutiny, the club secured three Premier League titles and multiple domestic cups.
However, the Premier League alleged that the club violated Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) as well as UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. This is not the first time City have faced high-stakes litigation; in 2020, UEFA handed down a two-year European ban and a £26.8m fine following similar allegations.
While that specific ban was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) due to the “time-barred” nature of certain evidence, the Premier League’s rules do not have the same statute of limitations.