The Premier League’s 115 allegations against Manchester City will be heard starting on Monday. If found guilty, the defending champions may lose points.
If found guilty, City, who are trying to win the league for the sixth time in a row, might be subject to an indefinite fine or possibly be kicked out of the top division of English football. A hearing is about to take place after senior club officials refuted the accusations made against them.
The team is charged with breaking Premier League financial rules for nine years, beginning in 2009. Multiple allegations have been launched against them, alleging that they omitted to give proper financial data.
It was “time to resolve” the case against City, according to Premier League chief Richard Masters in August. “It’s been going on for several years and I think it’s self-evident that the case needs to be heard and answered,” he said.
“Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with, “the club announced in a statement in February 2023.
The Premier League said in the same month that a commission had been tasked with investigating the purported violations by City.
“The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position,” said Pep Guardiola’s team in response. As such we look forward to this problem being put to bed once and for all.”
The entire list of suspected violations was not made public until 2023, despite the Premier League’s inquiry into Manchester City’s actions having begun in 2019. Among the accusations is that over five years, the defendant violated UEFA’s financial fair play standards and withheld financial compensation from one manager.
According to Sky Sports, the hearing is scheduled to run for two months. Given the breadth of the claims, it is anticipated that the independent commission would require a significant amount of time to decide.
After the new year, a decision is expected, though indications suggest that the finding might not be published until spring or even later.
If City is hit with penalties like losing points, they can file an appeal, which could drag out the court case even longer.
In a recent statement, the Premier League outlined its position on City, saying that “Commissions are independent of the Premier League and member clubs.”
They went on to say that the Premier League Judicial Panel’s independent Chair would choose commissioners by Rules W. 19, W. 20, and W. 26.
“In compliance with Premier League Rule W.82, the proceedings before the Commission will be confidential and heard in private,” they continued. The Commission’s final decision will be made public on the Premier League website following Premier League Rule W.82.2.
We are making this confirmation in compliance with Premier League Regulation W.82.1. Until further notice, the Premier League will not be commenting on this issue further.”