Roberto Mancini admits secret 'double contract' during Man City tenure

On 25 September 2026, an independent commission ruled that Manchester City breached 114 of the 115 financial charges brought by the Premier League. This decision officially triggered the biggest legal crisis in English football history, exposing financial secrets spanning from 2009 to 2018.

At the heart of the investigation is former manager Roberto Mancini and a sophisticated double-contract scheme designed to bypass regulations. Alongside his official £1.45 million annual salary at the Etihad Stadium, the Italian tactician received an additional secondary salary of £1.75 million per year, disguised as a consultancy fee for Abu Dhabi-based club Al Jazira.

Man City's sophisticated 'double contract' loophole mechanism

Remarkably, this secondary remuneration was paid to the Italian manager for just four days of consultancy work per year. This served as a tool for the Etihad club to circumvent Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations by keeping more than half of their manager's wage bill off the UK books.

The cash flow was routed through multiple sophisticated layers of intermediaries. First, Mancini's company, Italy International Services, sent quarterly invoices to Man City. Man City then transferred the funds to their parent company, Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), to be forwarded to Al Jazira, before finally landing in Mancini's account via an offshore company.

Mancini's controversial comments and evasion of responsibility

Speaking at a press conference in late September 2026, Roberto Mancini indirectly admitted to the existence of this double contract. Instead of denying it, the former Italian boss immediately shifted the blame to his former club with a cold statement: "The double contract is not my problem, that is Man City's business."

This evasion of responsibility sparked public outrage, as he insisted he was solely focused on footballing matters and had paid his taxes in full. Even more astonishingly, the manager still claimed to believe Man City were innocent, despite the club being found guilty of 114 out of 115 financial charges.

Editorial: The author's perspective

Roberto Mancini's indirect admission deals a fatal blow to Manchester City's self-defence. With a key historical witness refusing to stand in the same corner, any arguments defending the Etihad club's innocence have officially collapsed.

The club's financial breaches are no longer theoretical allegations, but are now backed by testimony from an insider. Man City now face the prospect of the most severe sanctions from English football authorities.

In the face of this damning evidence, what punishment do you think Manchester City should face: a massive points deduction, being stripped of their titles, or expulsion from the Premier League?