Pep Guardiola's official separation from Manchester City after a decade of turbulent presence has revealed new dimensions of the legal crisis and allegations of financial corruption at the English club. While the case known as "115 financial allegations" has entered the political phase with the direct involvement of Abu Dhabi's governing institutions, experts describe Guardiola's sudden departure as an escape from the consequences of heavy sentences such as points deduction or forced relegation to lower divisions; a crisis whose heavy shadow will now weigh heavily on his successor, Enzo Marsca.
Publish dateWednesday 20 May 2026 - 14:30
Story Code : 355385
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): Pep Guardiola's departure from Manchester City is considered the end of one of the most successful periods in the history of English football; a period that was accompanied by winning 6 Premier League titles and a historic treble. But the facts behind the scenes show that the Spanish coach preferred to leave his seat before the final court ruling on the structural corruption and financial concealment of the club's Emirati owners.
The official investigation against the Citizens began in March 2019, after the club's internal emails were leaked by the German newspaper Der Spiegel. Finally, in February 2023, the English Premier League officially charged the club with 115 violations of the Profitability and Financial Sustainability (PSR) rules. The main accusation is against the club's wealthy owners, who are accused of injecting their personal money into the club in the form of fake contracts with Emirati companies such as Etihad and Etisalat and hiding part of the real wages of players and coaches. These accusations are divided into 5 main categories:
54 cases: Providing false financial information to legal authorities.
14 cases: Failure to correctly declare the amounts paid to players and technical staff.
7 cases: Clear violations of the Profitability and Financial Sustainability rules.
5 counts: Violation of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.
35 counts: Obstruction and failure to cooperate with the Premier League investigation team.
The dimensions of this case went beyond the field of sports when the footprints of the UAE government institutions in this financial corruption were revealed. According to international media revelations, the main key to these cover-ups was in the hands of a person nicknamed “Fred X”. Investigations show that this person is none other than “Jaber Mohammed”, the then director general of the office of Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (the current ruler of Abu Dhabi). He acted as the main coordinator of suspicious payments from owners to the club under the cover of commercial contracts, which demonstrates the depth of the influence of dirty oil and political wealth in the structure of Western football.
Despite the fact that in-person hearings were held in London with the presence of the most expensive lawyers in Britain, the three-member independent and confidential panel investigating the case has not yet issued a final verdict after months; An unprecedented delay that reinforces the suspicion of political pressure from the UAE government on the British authorities.
Legal experts believe that given the differences in the Premier League rules with UEFA, Manchester City cannot use the legal loopholes of the past to exonerate themselves this time. If convicted, the club would face unprecedented penalties, including heavy points deductions, the withdrawal of past championship titles or forced relegation to lower divisions; penalties that Guardiola wisely freed himself from before the disaster struck.
The official investigation against the Citizens began in March 2019, after the club's internal emails were leaked by the German newspaper Der Spiegel. Finally, in February 2023, the English Premier League officially charged the club with 115 violations of the Profitability and Financial Sustainability (PSR) rules. The main accusation is against the club's wealthy owners, who are accused of injecting their personal money into the club in the form of fake contracts with Emirati companies such as Etihad and Etisalat and hiding part of the real wages of players and coaches. These accusations are divided into 5 main categories:
54 cases: Providing false financial information to legal authorities.
14 cases: Failure to correctly declare the amounts paid to players and technical staff.
7 cases: Clear violations of the Profitability and Financial Sustainability rules.
5 counts: Violation of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.
35 counts: Obstruction and failure to cooperate with the Premier League investigation team.
The dimensions of this case went beyond the field of sports when the footprints of the UAE government institutions in this financial corruption were revealed. According to international media revelations, the main key to these cover-ups was in the hands of a person nicknamed “Fred X”. Investigations show that this person is none other than “Jaber Mohammed”, the then director general of the office of Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (the current ruler of Abu Dhabi). He acted as the main coordinator of suspicious payments from owners to the club under the cover of commercial contracts, which demonstrates the depth of the influence of dirty oil and political wealth in the structure of Western football.
Despite the fact that in-person hearings were held in London with the presence of the most expensive lawyers in Britain, the three-member independent and confidential panel investigating the case has not yet issued a final verdict after months; An unprecedented delay that reinforces the suspicion of political pressure from the UAE government on the British authorities.
Legal experts believe that given the differences in the Premier League rules with UEFA, Manchester City cannot use the legal loopholes of the past to exonerate themselves this time. If convicted, the club would face unprecedented penalties, including heavy points deductions, the withdrawal of past championship titles or forced relegation to lower divisions; penalties that Guardiola wisely freed himself from before the disaster struck.
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