Sports lawyer Tom Murray, who claims to have spoken to insiders working on the case, says Manchester City are likely to be found in breach of at least some of the 115 Premier League charges against them
Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Ferran Soriano
Man City bosses Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Ferran Soriano are still waiting for a verdict(Image: Clive Mason, Getty Images)
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Manchester City continue their wait for a verdict on the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League and a final decision could still be more than two years away, according to sports lawyer Tom Murray. The founding partner of the Three Points law firm expects the saga will remain protracted and complicated by the appeals procedure.
City are facing accusations of violating financial regulations across a nine-year stretch beginning in 2009. The inquiry was launched in 2019 and featured claims regarding the club's financial disclosures and failure to cooperate with the investigation, The club deny any misconduct and says it has 'irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position'.
The charges were made public in 2023 and City were confronted with 54 allegations of failing to submit accurate and current financial documentation from 2009/10. They additionally faced 14 alleged violations of failing to provide precise financial accounts of player and manager remuneration throughout the same timeframe.
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The hearing commenced in September 2024 and ran for 10 weeks, yet all involved parties continue to await a conclusion. The sheer number of charges and the seriousness of the allegations seem to have played a role in the extended wait for a judgement, with the case being without precedent in English football.
Murray believes the sheer volume of allegations will ultimately result in Manchester City being found guilty of at least some infractions. However, despite ongoing rumours about when the verdict might emerge, the solicitor refrained from offering a timeline, having claimed to have consulted those involved in proceedings.
"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.
"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."
By contrast, former City financial adviser Stefan Borson reckons the club will receive a decision 'quite soon'. He has indicated it may land before the campaign concludes.
"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."