Some journalists expect the outcome of Man City’s hearing regarding 115 charges to be announced in the summer.
Although Pep Guardiola was saying this time last year that he was expecting to hear the verdict, 12 months on, it is suggested all parties know the outcome but are waiting for the best time to announce it.
Hearing Timeline and Delays
It has now been over three years since the club was charged with breaching FFP rules, 54 of which relate to false financial information.
The actual hearing only lasted 12 weeks, culminating in December 2024. So, while no one at the Etihad will publicly admit it, the world’s best lawyers are being paid to drag this out for as long as possible.
The Premier League will be aware that City will immediately appeal any sanctions and will want to protect the image of their brand.
Premier League Considerations
No different from any business, the priority is to make money, so they do not want to deter sponsors and advertisers by leaving ‘the best league in the world’ with asterisks next to their six-time champions.
The Premier League could deduct points this season, but they do not want to damage the credibility of their competition. A title race decided by point deductions reflects poorly on them.
Equally, an appeal process means Arsenal could effectively win the title but then lose it again if City succeeds on appeal.
So it is far less complicated to wait for pre-season.
To clarify, the PL can only relegate a club to the Championship. They cannot demote any side to League One or League Two because the EFL is a separate governing body whose rules City have yet to breach.
Gooners would not want any points deduction this campaign out of fear it would undermine the credibility of any title win. Yet if we are parading the Premiership around North London, I will quickly get over it.
Dan Smith