La Liga president: Man City case shows need for financial transparency

The Premier League side’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak responded to press reports that City have been found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges of financial rule breaches by insisting on Saturday that the club are innocent. — AFP pic

First Published: Monday, 28 Sep 2026 8:42 AM MYT

MADRID, Sept 28 — La Liga president Javier Tebas yesterday called for greater controls to protect the “integrity” of football, after Manchester City were reportedly found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules.

The Premier League side’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak responded to press reports that City have been found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges of financial rule breaches by insisting on Saturday that the club are innocent.

They have been accused of failing to provide accurate financial information or details of payments to players and coaches, breaches of financial sustainability rules, and failing to cooperate with an investigation.

“What has happened, again shows that economic controls, transparency and the same rules for all are essential to protect football’s integrity and sustainability,” Tebas said in a lengthy post on social media.

Tebas said he had been one of the voices back in 2017 to speak up about “financial doping” in relation to clubs like City and Paris Saint-Germain being able to lean on the huge economic resources of Gulf countries to boost their competitive ambitions.

The La Liga president has often been accused of trying to protect the financial advantage of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are the two richest clubs in the world according to Forbes and Deloitte. — AFP