Manchester City’s hearing regarding their 115 financial charges is finally set to start. According to Sky Sports, the Premier League will begin presenting its case against the club on Monday, Sep. 16. While the case is nearly underway, soccer fans should not expect a verdict soon.
The process will begin in the coming days, but a final ruling may not become official until 2025. There is an expectation that the proceedings will last around 10 weeks. If City loses the case, a lengthy appeals process could then continue into the new year.
City was initially charged with over 100 infractions of financial rules back in February 2023. Since this time, fellow Premier League sides Everton and Nottingham Forest have been charged and even hit with points penalties. This lack of movement in the City case has left many fans frustrated over how the English champions remain unpunished.
Nevertheless, league officials have claimed that City’s situation is significantly different compared to the other teams. For instance, Pep Guardiola’s club is facing over 100 charges. Everton and Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, were charged with just single violations of the rules. This makes the City case a much more complex issue.
City’s 115 charges are for breaking financial fair play (FFP) laws over nine years. This period initially began in 2009 and stretched until 2018. Premier League officials previously investigated the situation for five years before filing the charges.
The breaches include a wide range of issues including failing to provide an accurate account of the club’s finances. Manchester City did not properly disclose certain contracts with coaches and players. On top of these problems, City team execs also allegedly opted not to cooperate with at least part of the investigation.
City has remained adamant that they did not breach any of the FFP rules. Guardiola even recently told reporters that he was looking forward to getting the case out of the way. “I am happy it starts soon and hopefully it finishes soon for the benefit of all of us,” said the coach on August 24th.
“Especially for the club but for all the other Premier League clubs, like for all the people that don’t wait the sentence. I wish from deep in my heart to go to the trial, the independent panel – and I say it again, independent panel – and as soon as possible release what happened, and we will accept like always we have done.”
City’s rivals do not have much faith that the club will earn much of a punishment in the case. The club previously picked up a ban from Champions League play for violating UEFA’s FFP laws back in 2020. Nevertheless, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) eventually overturned the ban. City featured in the competition despite its prior punishment.
City recommended CAS panel chairman Rui Botica Santos. Assuming City is guilty in the upcoming Premier League case, an appeal process will go through CAS. The three-person commission will, however, come directly from the chair of the Premier League’s judicial panel.
If authorities find City guilty, City’s potential penalty would range from a points deduction to even expulsion from the Premier League. Bettors placed the club’s relegation odds at 8/1. Nevertheless, dropping down the second-tiered Championship does not seem like a probable outcome.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
