Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media
Stefan Borson
Tue 3 December 2024 12:15, UK
Manchester City could have to wait until the end of May before the panel publishes the initial decision in their 115 charges case.
That is the view of former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider a case of this magnitude would usually take more than a year for a verdict to be reached if it was in the courts.
The English champions were dealt the charges by the Premier League in February 2023 for allegedly breaching the financial fair play (FFP) rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.
An independent commission hearing into the 115 charges started on 16 September.
The Lawyer reported on 27 November the hearing is currently paused as the two parties are preparing their closing arguments, which will begin in early to mid-December.
Man City face split trial if they are found guilty in 115 charges case
Borson revealed there will be a split hearing if Man City are found guilty of the charges.
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He told Football Insider: “I think the key takeaway from the fact it’s gone this duration is that it’s going to take a long time to get the decision because of the volume of documentation that must have been gone through and the number of witnesses that must have been presenting to the panel.
“If this was in the courts, for something like a 12-week trial hearing, it could easily take over a year to get the decision.
“You would finish the trial and then just sit back and wait. At some point a year or more later, the decision comes out.
“I doubt it will be a year in this case before we get a decision, but I think it’s unlikely now that we are going to get anything before the end of March.
“We may not even get an initial decision before the end of May.
Man City
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“We also understand from some of the coverage from The Lawyer publication that this is a split hearing.
“Within that split hearing, that means you are going to have liability, which is what’s going on now, and then if City are found to be liable, then there will be something on sentencing and sanctioning.
“Even if there is a decision before March, there is still some way to go.”
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