The Football Association (FA) has announced its authority to impose disciplinary measures against Manchester City and specific individuals connected to the club, marking its first official statement following the club’s conviction for numerous financial regulation violations.
The FA emphasized that the ruling from the independent commission regarding Manchester City carries “significant implications for the integrity of the game” and stated that it “will take action where necessary.”
In response to the commission’s findings, Manchester City plans to appeal. The commission determined after a 42-hour hearing that the club had implemented a “Disguised Funding Scheme” and utilized “sham contracts” to inflate their revenue by over £900 million between 2009 and 2018.
The FA has indicated that it will await the conclusion of the appeal process, which, according to the Premier League’s regulations, is expected to wrap up by the end of January, before deciding on potential actions. The governing body confirmed that it is closely monitoring the situation.
Additionally, the FA possesses the authority to take action against individuals found to have violated rules or engaged in dishonest conduct, as determined by the commission’s findings.
While the identities of those implicated were redacted in the 40-page judgment released this week, the FA could request an unredacted version from the Premier League.
The FA’s statement highlighted, “The Independent Commission’s decision has considerable implications for the integrity of the game. We are diligently evaluating the decision and its consequences, and we will take appropriate action.” It further noted, “Given that matters between the Premier League and Manchester City Football Club are still pending, we will refrain from additional comments at this time. However, we will continue to observe developments closely.”
Typically, the FA waits for disciplinary processes led by leagues like the Premier League or EFL to conclude before initiating its own actions.
In a separate case, the FA fined Chelsea £10 million and imposed a suspended transfer ban over two windows after the club acknowledged 74 violations of its agent regulations. This decision came four months after the Premier League had fined Chelsea £10.75 million for the same infractions, which involved illicit payments to players and agents.
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The FA holds additional powers to take action against individuals, although this was not exercised in the Chelsea case since the individuals involved are no longer active in football.
In another disciplinary matter, Southampton’s manager, Tonda Eckert, faced charges of misconduct related to the Spygate controversy involving Middlesbrough this summer. A disciplinary hearing took place last month that could potentially lead to a lengthy suspension from football for the manager.
