MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 17: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg...
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 17: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Manchester City FC and Real Madrid CF at City of Manchester Stadium on March 17, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admits the process has taken longer than expected, with still no timetable for a verdict.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - MAY 12: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola holds the winner's trophy aloft after the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City at American Express Community Stadium on May 12, 2019 in Brighton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - MAY 12: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola holds the winner's trophy aloft after the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City at American Express Community Stadium on May 12, 2019 in Brighton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Another Premier League season is about to begin, yet one of the biggest stories hanging over English football remains unresolved, with Manchester City still waiting for a verdict in the case over the club’s 115 alleged breaches of the league’s financial rules.
For Arsenal and the rest of the Premier League, the continued delay means another campaign will start without clarity over a case that could have significant consequences for the competition, with still no indication of when a decision will be delivered.
Manchester City continue to deny all 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations, with the allegations covering the period from the 2009-10 season to 2017-18.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City (L) celebrates scoring his sides third goal with Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City (R) during the Premier League match between Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City (L) celebrates scoring his sides third goal with Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City (R) during the Premier League match between Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The Premier League charged City in February 2023 before a three-person independent commission heard the case over 12 weeks between September and December 2024.
Nearly two years on, however, no verdict has been published and there is still no publicly available timetable for a decision.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admitted this week that the process has “taken longer than expected” but declined to provide any indication of when a verdict might be expected, citing the confidentiality of the independent proceedings.
Masters said the case is exceptionally complex, covering nine seasons and multiple categories of alleged rule breaches. He stressed that it is for the independent commission, rather than the Premier League or Manchester City, to assess the evidence and establish the facts.
When they will finish doing that is anyone’s guess.
He added that the league must allow the panel “time and space” to complete its work and that the only course of action is to “allow that process to reach its natural conclusion”.
Whenever a verdict is eventually published, should any of us still be alive, it still may not mark the end of the process.
Any outcome could also be subject to appeal, extending the timeline further.
At present, there is no indication of what conclusions the independent commission will reach, leaving another Premier League season to begin with one of the game’s biggest unresolved issues still hanging over it.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City brings out the 2022/2023 Premier League trophy during the After Party Celebration to mark the achievements of Manchester City men’s, women’s and academy teams during the 25/26 season at The Co-op Live Arena on May 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Erling Haaland of Manchester City brings out the 2022/2023 Premier League trophy during the After Party Celebration to mark the achievements of Manchester City men’s, women’s and academy teams during the 25/26 season at The Co-op Live Arena on May 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
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