MANCHESTER — Roberto Mancini says an alleged "double contract" from his time as Manchester City manager is "not my concern" after an independent panel found the club guilty of the majority of the 115 financial charges brought by the Premier League. Mancini, who managed City from December 2009 until May 2013, addressed the allegations during a news conference before Italy's Nations League game against Turkey on Monday.
"Found guilty of what?" Mancini said. "It's not an issue that concerns me. It's nothing new because this matter has been discussed for the last four or five years. Manchester City has not been found guilty, and the alleged double contract is not my concern. It's their issue, not mine." The 115 charges included 14 instances of failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments from 2009-10 to 2017-18, a period covering Mancini's three and a half years in charge when he won the FA Cup in 2011 and City's first top-flight title for 44 years in 2012. German newspaper Der Spiegel had previously accused City of paying a "significant portion" of Mancini's compensation "by way of a fictitious consultancy contract," alleging he was paid more as a consultant to Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira than as City manager, excluding bonuses and incentives.
On Friday, it emerged the independent panel had found City guilty on all but one count, although sanctions have yet to be determined. The Premier League declined to comment, while City released a statement saying the "Premier League process remains ongoing with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality." The club added: "The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence."
City were charged with more than 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules following a four-year investigation in February 2023 and were referred to an independent commission. A behind-closed-doors hearing began in September 2024 and ran for about 12 weeks. Other Premier League clubs are believed to have been informed about the decision and have sought legal advice over possible compensation claims.
The panel's findings mark a major development in a case that has lingered for years, though the process remains ongoing with sanctions still to be decided. The latest ruling follows Man City 115 charges case moves to appeal, could drag for years as the league and club navigate the next legal steps.