Manchester City have been found guilty of almost all the Premier League financial-rule charges brought against them, covering the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons. An independent commission said the club used sham commercial agreements to disguise funding and inflate revenues, allowing it to reduce costs and avoid recording what could have been the league’s largest single-season loss; City deny wrongdoing and plan to appeal.

The Premier League says the alleged scheme involved more than £830 million in disguised funding, and the commission found the sponsorship deals were sham arrangements or did not reflect their economic substance. The charges covered more than 100 alleged breaches across four categories; City were found guilty of all except one charge concerning failure to co-operate with the investigation. League chief executive Richard Masters said the findings establish what happened, while the club said the commission’s opinion contains material errors and that proceedings remain ongoing.