A verdict of the Manchester City vs Premier League Financial Fair Play case is ‘imminent’ and could be announced ‘any day now’.
At the start of 2023,Man City were referred to an independent commission after being charged with breaching over 100 of the Premier League’s FFP rules.
The Premier League gathered evidence during their four-year probe into Man City’s alleged conduct between 2009 and 2018 before they passed the case onto an independent commission.
Over the past couple of years, Man City and the Premier League have been embroiled in a tense legal battle and the FFP case is finally nearing a conclusion.
Pep Guardiola‘s side have always insisted on their innocence, but they could be given a huge fine, points deduction, transfer ban or expulsion from the Premier League if they are found guilty of the majority of the charges.
READ: Premier League prize money calculated: Manchester United unfairly high in earnings table
Unsurprisingly, Man City – sixth in our net spend table – have fought back against the Premier League and won the separate Associated Party Transcation (APT) case, but it remains to be seen how this verdict will impact the FFP situation.
The Man City vs Premier League FFP hearing finished towards the end of November andit’s consistently been reported that a verdict is due this month.
A new detailed report from the i has gathered thoughts from ‘legal experts’ on the situation, claiming ‘the decision around City’s 130 charges will be the starting pistol for another prolonged battle’.
MORE MAN CITY COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Man City FFP: The Citizens could be ‘relegated around Easter’ as possible ‘second hearing’ claim emerges
👉 Ex-England boss Capello slams ‘arrogant’ Guardiola over the ‘tremendous damage he’s done to football’
👉 Nottingham Forest set for Champions League as Ederson v Alisson debate now a laughing matter
It is noted that the verdict is expected to drop ‘imminently’, with it warned that ‘the aftershocks are almost certain to extend into next season or even beyond’.
‘Those with knowledge of the timeline of similar cases believe an initial finding by a three-man independent commission, which could run to hundreds of pages detailing the charges, could come “any day now”.
‘But legal experts have told The i Paper that will be the starting pistol for another prolonged battle, with the hearing itself possibly split into two parts (an initial verdict followed by a hearing by the same commission into possible punishment that could run to a fortnight) and the prospect of lengthy appeals that will slow any resolution to a case that feels seismic for the future of English football.’
On the prospect of a Man City win, ‘one Premier League executive’ expects the ‘short-term result will be carnage’.
‘One word of caution: “total” exoneration feels “unlikely” to those who have spent time studying the case. Some of the charges relate to non-cooperation – refusing to comply with elements of the investigation – and those could be less difficult to prove.
‘City, for their part, have always pointed out that the original Football Leaks revelations that prompted many of these charges were through illegal hacking.
‘If City do win the short-term result will be – in the words of one Premier League executive The i Paper spoke to – “carnage”.
‘“I don’t think the roof comes in straight away or anything, but it significantly weakens the Premier League’s hand on the rules. Would the whole financial fair play edifice be next?”’