Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola wants a resolution to Manchester City's legal case with the Premier League to be resolved as soon as possible, with the two sides set to meet on Sunday
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 1: A general exterior view of Etihad Stadium ahead of the UEFA Women's Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between Manchester City and Real Madrid C.F. at Manchester City Academy Stadium on October 1, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester City reportedly held talks over a settlement with the Premier League(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester City reportedly held talks over a settlement with the Premier League which could have seen any potential punishments decreased.
An independent commission’s verdict was confirmed last month, with City found guilty of all the charges against it related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, while the club has also been accused of arranging “sham” contracts during a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.
City and its owners maintain their innocence and have launched an appeal, but the club is said to have tried to take steps to avoid any major sanctions as it now faces calls for it to be stripped of its titles and expelled from the league.
According to Bloomberg, discussions were held before it emerged that City had been found guilty on nearly all charges levied against it. The settlement would have focused on a sizeable financial payment, rather than any of the potential points-related punishments that have been discussed by pundits in recent days.
Any settlement, it’s claimed, would have only decreased the size of the case rather than resolve it, given the scale of the charges.
Talks though are said to have quickly fallen apart, while it’s also suggested any settlement would have been opposed by rival clubs such as Liverpool.
The claims come as Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has called for a quick resolution to be reached following City’s decision to appeal its guilty verdict.
Andoni Iraola speaking during a Liverpool press conference
Andoni Iraola has called for a quick resolution to City's case(Image: Liverpool FC)
The Reds will become the first team to face City since the independent commission’s verdict was confirmed, with the visitors having been warned they will face a “brutal” reception at Anfield.
"I think it should be [concluded quickly]," Iraola said. "There should be a moment when something comes from this but now is not that moment.
"Nobody knows what is going to happen and I think this uncertainty is no good for anyone. I don't know what's going to happen. No-one knows what's going to happen.
"I think we have to trust the people who are in charge of those things. They have spent a lot of time (looking at the issue), no?
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"So they are ones that the football world has put their trust in and they decide to make their decisions.
"The best thing for us is that we are focusing on the football and on the game, Liverpool vs Man City.
"But we cannot control everything that happens and that is why there are mechanisms to control these kinds of things.
"We understand and I understand everything that goes above football. Every fan will have their own opinion and attitude towards that but it's not something that I can control.
"I need to do my job, to give the best game we can give on the sporting side, so everyone of our supporters is happy on Sunday.”