"Man City inflated revenue through sham contracts worth approximately 1.61 trillion won," EPL officially announces → UK government also expresses concern, calling it a "serious matter"

*This content was translated by AI.

A shocking investigation report by an independent committee of the Premier League (EPL) has revealed that Manchester City (hereinafter Man City) entered into "sham contracts" over a long period to inflate revenue by more than 900 million pounds (approximately 1.61 trillion won) and conceal costs. The matter is causing significant ripples throughout the football world, with the UK government directly stepping in to warn of the severity of the situation.

According to an independent committee investigation report released by the EPL office on the 30th (Korean time), Man City executed a so-called "irregular funding plan" by signing false commercial sponsorship contracts with multiple companies. It was revealed that the sponsoring companies only bore a portion of the nominal sponsorship fees, while the remaining difference was indirectly covered by the club's parent company, Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG). The scale of these irregular sponsorships alone amounts to approximately 83.069 million pounds (approximately 1.48 trillion won).

According to the UK's BBC, Man City was also found to have engaged in numerous irregular contracts aimed at reducing expenses, in addition to inflating revenue. Through ADUG's financial support, actual club operating costs were recorded lower on the books, and a circular transaction structure was created by selling player image rights to a special purpose vehicle called "Fordham," which receives financial backing from ADUG, thereby concealing costs.

The independent committee determined that this series of actions was meticulously planned in advance to appear as if the Premier League's financial regulations were being superficially complied with. The committee stated, "The total amount of revenue inflated and costs concealed through these methods exceeds 900 million pounds," adding, "Consequently, the club submitted distorted financial statements and concealed its actual financial condition from external auditors and football regulatory authorities." It concluded, "Man City acted with a clear deliberate intent to circumvent Premier League regulations."

In particular, the BBC noted that the word "sham," meaning "false or disguised," appears no fewer than eight times in the 40th-page committee report. The EPL independent committee also criticized, stating, "The club was already aware, or at least recklessly turned a blind eye to the fact, that the annual accounting reports submitted to the Premier League each season did not truthfully and fairly reflect its financial condition."

As the situation grew uncontrollably large, the UK government immediately expressed concern. Lisa Nandy, the UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, stated in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, "This is a very serious matter, and the severity and scale of this investigation's findings cannot be overstated."

Secretary Nandy warned, "It is clear that Man City has the right to object to the allegations and undergo fair hearing procedures, but if these investigation results are finalized, the impact will be enormous not only on the club but on the entire football industry." She added, "The Premier League must conclude this process as quickly as possible, even for the sake of fans who require trust in the fairness of matches," emphasizing, "The reason we introduced an independent football regulatory institutional investor is also to put fans at the center, and there is a need to re-examine whether the Premier League's own regulations are functioning as intended."

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*This content was translated by AI.