Manchester City
Manchester City have been charged with 115 alleged rule breaches. (Image: Getty Images)
Manchester City are expected to be found guilty of at least some of the 115 charges levelled against them by the Premier League, though it would come as no shock if a final verdict still required more than two years, according to sports lawyer Tom Murray.
The founding partner of the Three Points law firm expects this process will remain protracted and complicated by the appeals procedure. City are accused of violating financial regulations over a nine-year period stretching from 2009. The investigation was launched in 2019 and encompassed allegations regarding the club's financial reporting and failure to cooperate with the inquiry, although the club deny any wrongdoing.
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Charges were formally announced in 2023, and City face 54 allegations of failing to supply accurate and current financial information from 2009/10. They additionally face 14 alleged violations of failing to provide precise financial reports concerning player and manager remuneration over the same timeframe.
The hearing commenced in September 2024 and ran for 10 weeks, yet all parties continue to await an outcome. The sheer number of charges and the seriousness of the accusations seem to have contributed towards the lengthy wait for a judgment, with the case being without precedent in English football.
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Murray believes the sheer volume of charges will ultimately result in Manchester City being found guilty of at least some offences. However, amid ongoing speculation regarding when the verdict could be delivered, the solicitor refrained from predicting a timeline for the outcome, having claimed to have spoken to those involved in the case.
"I don't think anyone knows," Murray told the Price of Football podcast. "I've spoken to barristers working on the case, and even they don't know when the decision will be released. As much as I would like to speculate, I think it would be pointless.
"What do I think the outcome is going to be? I think Manchester City are going to be found liable, in breach of something. With the number of charges there are I don't think they are going to get away with this.
Pep Guardiola
Manchester City are still waiting for the outcome of the charges made against them (Image: Getty Images)
"But this is going to be strung out for as long as possible and I think we can expect an appeal and we'll be back in the same position. In two years' time, it wouldn't be surprising if we still don't have a final outcome."
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By contrast, former City financial adviser Stefan Borson is of the opinion that the club will receive a verdict 'quite soon', suggesting it could arrive by the end of the season.
"I think it's coming quite soon, but then we have said that before, right?" he said. "My best guess and the kind of feeling in the parties is that it will come at the end of the season.
"June would be most likely, that's the feeling. There's no justification now from a kind of how long it takes to write this up, there's no justification now.
"This is now ridiculous territory. 18 months to write up a decision in a private arbitration is clearly ridiculous. There's been little things that I've heard that would signify that we are coming to the end of the process of writing it up."