Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has insisted Manchester City’s long-running 115 charges case is “not top of the list” when he speaks to rival clubs, while still refusing to be drawn on when a verdict might finally arrive.
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The saga has hung over the top flight for years, with Manchester City first charged in February 2023 over more than 100 alleged breaches of the competition’s financial regulations.
The disciplinary hearing concluded in December 2024, yet more than 20 months on an independent commission is still to deliver its ruling - a delay that now stretches well beyond three years from the moment the club were originally charged.
As has been the case from the outset, Manchester City maintain their innocence on all fronts.
With reports suggesting that four rival clubs have reserved the right to pursue compensation should City ultimately be found guilty, it is no surprise that much of English football is desperate for a resolution.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, however, the Premier League's chief executive officer Richard Masters has sought to downplay the idea that the case dominates his discussions with those inside the game.
“I obviously speak to clubs all the time,” the Premier League chief said. “It’s not necessarily a topic of conversation that is top of the list. (There are) lots of other things to talk about and do. The Premier League moves on. It’s starting (again) on Friday evening.”
Are Manchester City’s rivals still pushing for a verdict?
Richard Masters has previously admitted his own frustration at the length of a process that could ultimately see Manchester City either exonerated or hit with historic sanctions. Nottingham Forest, Everton and Leicester City have all suffered punishments for financial breaches during the period City have spent awaiting their fate.
Chelsea, meanwhile, were recently handed a £10 million fine for breaking rules - a penalty widely regarded as lenient. Asked whether that outcome hinted at a wider desire within the game to move away from points deductions, Masters was quick to reject the suggestion, insisting that a reduction in the Premier League’s latest domestic broadcast income had no bearing on any such thinking.
“I don’t think litigation and broadcast deals are necessarily associated,” he said. “I do think litigation is to be avoided. It should be a last resort within a league system or generally. I think that is generally the attitude that is taken by stakeholders in the game. Litigation is a last resort.”
Masters: It will take as long as it takes
For all the noise surrounding the case, the one thing Masters remains entirely unwilling to offer is any indication of a timeline, reiterating that the matter must simply be allowed to run its course.
“The process is the process,” he added. “It will resolve itself. But as you know, I literally can’t say a thing about it. There’s only one available option, which is to allow the process to reach its natural conclusion.
"I can’t talk about the substance of the case. I can’t talk about the timing of the case. Our rules are very clear about that. I understand that people are frustrated but it will take as long as it takes.”
As the new season gets under way and Enzo Maresca settles into life as Pep Guardiola’s successor, the club continue to go about their business with the threat of a landmark ruling hanging over the Etihad Stadium - and, for now at least, no clearer idea of when that decision might come.
On the pitch, the focus must remain on the Premier League competition itself, as well as a confirmed pathway into the Carabao Cup third round and the UEFA Champions League's league phase.
Remarkably, fans can no longer rule out the possibility that a decision on Manchester City's legal battle is not announced until 2027, but Enzo Maresca and his players will have to put that uncertainty to one side if they are to challenge Arsenal for the title.