Manchester City

Manchester City Football Club was officially formed in 1894, although its origins stretch back to 1880, when members of St Mark’s Church in West Gorton established a football team. The side later became Ardwick AFC and joined the Football League in 1892. Financial difficulties led to reorganisation two years later, when Manchester City was created with the intention of representing the wider city.

City won their first major trophy in 1904, defeating Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup final. The club moved from Hyde Road to Maine Road in 1923 and developed into a significant force during the following decades. Another FA Cup arrived in 1934, with players such as Eric Brook and Fred Tilson prominent. City then won their first English league championship in 1936-37.

A particularly successful period developed under manager Joe Mercer and coach Malcolm Allison during the late 1960s. With players including captain Tony Book, Colin Bell, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee, City won the league championship in 1967-68. They added the FA Cup in 1969 and completed a League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup double in 1970. City also won the League Cup in 1976.

The following decades brought considerable instability. Manchester City were relegated from the top division several times and eventually dropped into the third tier in 1998. Their 1999 play-off final against Gillingham became a turning point. City trailed 2-0 late in the match before Kevin Horlock and Paul Dickov scored, with Dickov equalising in stoppage time. City eventually won the penalty shootout and earned promotion.

Manchester City returned to the Premier League in 2002 and moved from Maine Road to the City of Manchester Stadium, later renamed the Etihad Stadium, in 2003. Sheikh Mansour acquired the club in 2008, beginning a period of major investment. Players including Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero became central to the transformed squad.

Roberto Mancini delivered the FA Cup in 2011, City’s first major trophy for 35 years. The following season produced one of the defining finishes in English league history. City entered the final day needing to beat Queens Park Rangers to secure the Premier League title. Trailing 2-1 in stoppage time, Edin Dzeko equalised before Aguero scored the winning goal. City became English champions for the first time since 1968.

Manuel Pellegrini led Manchester City to another Premier League championship in 2013-14 before Pep Guardiola became manager in 2016. Guardiola’s side reached 100 points in 2017-18, with Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Aguero and Raheem Sterling among the key players. City retained the title in 2018-19 and also won the FA Cup and League Cup, completing an unprecedented sweep of England’s four domestic men’s trophies when the Community Shield was included.

Guardiola’s team continued collecting league championships, while players including De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Rodri became central figures. Erling Haaland joined in 2022 and scored 36 Premier League goals in his first season. The 2022-23 campaign ended with Manchester City winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. Rodri scored the only goal against Inter in Istanbul as City became European champions for the first time.

Manchester City subsequently won the 2023 UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Another Premier League championship followed in 2023-24, making City the first men’s team to win four consecutive English top-flight titles. Guardiola ultimately completed a decade as manager with 20 major trophies.

His final season brought another domestic cup double. City won both the EFL Cup and FA Cup in 2025-26, defeating Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final through an Antoine Semenyo goal. Guardiola stepped down after the season and Enzo Maresca was appointed as his successor in June 2026. Maresca, previously part of Guardiola’s treble-winning coaching staff, signed a three-year contract and took charge for the 2026-27 campaign.

In late September, Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of 114 of the 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, marking a major development in a case that began when the club were charged in February 2023. The allegations covered issues including inaccurate financial information, details of player and manager payments, compliance with UEFA financial regulations, Profitability and Sustainability Rules, and cooperation with the Premier League’s investigation.

However, the verdict has not yet been formally announced by the Premier League, which says the proceedings are confidential, while Manchester City maintain that the process is still ongoing and have consistently denied wrongdoing. Reports indicate the club are expected to appeal, and a separate sanctions process will determine any punishment, which could include fines, a points deduction or potentially demotion. We are following this topic for you, but meanwhile, feel free to check City’s chairman official letter.