Manchester City have made their next move in the most significant disciplinary case in Premier League history.
Earlier this week, the Premier League confirmed that an independent commission had found the club guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of its financial rules between 2009/10 and 2017/18, along with most of the charges linked to a failure to cooperate with its investigation.
The breakdown has been widely reported as 114 of the original 115 charges.
The commission’s findings included sham contracts with commercial partners as part of a disguised funding scheme worth more than £830 million.
It also stated that some witnesses called by City had given evidence they knew to be untrue.
City were given until Friday 2 October to challenge the ruling, and the club had already signalled their intention to do so in a statement on Tuesday.
That intention has now become reality.
In an official statement released on Friday morning, City confirmed they lodged what they described as a “comprehensive Appeal” at 7pm on Thursday 1 October, less than a day before the deadline.
The club repeated their position that the commission’s opinion “contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe,” adding that this applies on multiple grounds.
City also restated their innocence, insisting that a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence supports all of their positions.
The statement closed by saying the club will continue to respect due process and are restricted in what they can say until all proceedings are complete.
So what happens next?
The appeal will be heard by a new three person Appeal Panel.
Unlike the UEFA case in 2020, City are reported to have no route to the Court of Arbitration for Sport this time.
Crucially, no punishment has yet been decided.
The Premier League has said the issue of sanction will be addressed in a further private hearing with the independent commission.
Possible outcomes being discussed range from heavy fines and points deductions to relegation, but none has been confirmed.
The Premier League board has made clear it wants the full process, including any appeals, concluded as soon as possible.
City’s appeal adds another stage to that process.
The case is also being watched beyond the league.
The Football Association said this week that the verdict has significant implications for the integrity of the game and that it will take action where appropriate.
For Liverpool supporters, every development matters.
City won three Premier League titles during the period covered by the charges, including the 2013/14 season, when Brendan Rodgers’ side finished just two points behind.
Whether this appeal delays, softens or simply prolongs the outcome remains to be seen. What is certain is that this saga is far from over.
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