July 31 – The long-awaited verdict on Manchester City’s alleged 115 breaches of Premier League financial rules is now not expected to be delivered until at least October, according to reports.
The charges against Man City were first brought in February 2023, and covered alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018, most relating to how players and staff were paid, as well as accusations of over-inflating sponsorship contracts.
With the hearing on the case completed last December, it had been expected that a ruling would be made public by the start of the season. However, The Independent is now reporting that the decision will potentially not be made public until October, with speculation that it could arrive in the season’s second international break, October 4-18.
Manchester City have fiercely denied the charges, with the case also having taken on a semi-political context: the issue was raised with the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi, where city’s ownership is based, as well as reportedly being raised by UAE officials in a meeting with UK foreign secretary David Lammy in 2024.
For the Premier League, the case is a very dark cloud looming heavily over its governance structures – and in particular its financial fair play and financial sustainability regulations. The league’s financial rules are widely believed to need reform, but that is currently being held up while a verdict on the City case is awaited.
If Man City are found guilty of the charges, and depending on the number and severity of the charges they are found guilty of, the punishment could range from titles being stripped, to points deductions and/or fines. In what would be the ultimate consequence, they could even be expelled from the league.
Man City will fight any guilty verdict with a phalanx of lawyers and a legal battle fund that the Premier League will struggle to match. The situation remains perhaps more dangerous for the Premier League’s finances and sustainability than any of its challenges in the commercial broadcast and sponsor markets.
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