Manchester City's Etihad Stadium
Manchester City's Etihad Stadium (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
A highly anticipated legal decision has the potential to send shockwaves throughout the Premier League - according to experts. The verdict, due shortly concerns the 130 charges Manchester City are facing - and could impact English football for the foreseeable future.
The i Paper reported that "boardrooms and legal chambers that specialise in sports governance" have been kept busy over the last two years as The Cityzens face a slew of charges relating to various breaches of financial fair play. A verdict is expected soon with City manager Pep Guardiola stating that he anticipated it to be delivered soon - back in February.
This claim has been backed by those who know the timeline of similar cases. They believe an initial finding by a three-man independent commission - which could run to hundreds of pages detailing the charges - should come “any day now” with concerns that the revelation could have far-reaching consequences.
When the verdict is delivered, it will not be the end of the saga. Instead, it is believed that a hearing by the same commission regarding appropriate punishments - combined with the prospect of lengthy appeals could drag the process out even further. Stefan Borson - an expert in legal and governance matters and former Manchester City advisor - told The i Paper he wasn't expecting it to be resolved quickly.
He said: “I very much doubt it’ll be resolved this season.” And he emphasised to the i Paper that it was difficult for even the most competent legal minds to predict how it would play out because as of now - not all the facts of the case are known. Factors such as what City have specifically been accused of, and what charges were dropped or admitted to before the hearing began back in December are not common knowledge.
If Manchester City win and defeat all of the charges - it would be the outcome the club have been seeking since first being charged for financial breaches by UEFA six years ago. This course of events would clear the club of any wrongdoing and set them up for even more success on the pitch. However, this result seems unlikely according to the i Paper who discussed the matter with people who have studied the case.
Exoneration of the club would have dire consequences for the Premier League who have had their authority challenged and this outcome would undermine the organisation further. It was reported that in the 2023-2024 season alone - the league spent £45m in legal fees against its own clubs.
However, if City lose - it will have a significant impact on the club. It will be a resounding victory for the Premier League if charges including inflating sponsorship income, and not revealing the true value of contracts for some players are proven. These will come with severe punishments for The Cityzens which could include a significant points reduction and potentially (although unlikely) expulsion from the league.
There is a lot of speculation on what could happen but this will be decided and implemented when the verdict is handed down and the appeals process is exhausted. Several sports lawyers with vast experience in these kinds of cases have told The i Paper that either party will likely appeal the result. The impact could also be felt elsewhere with adverse action on the Abu Dhabi-owned club having the potential to strain relations between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
City have continued to display a confident outlook, securing reasonably consistent results of late in the Premier League and lie in fifth position in the table. They are also in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at the end of the month and have raised eyebrows with recent transfer activity - spending around £200m in the January window. Experts believe that if the club were not confident about the outcome of the hearing, they would not be making such bold moves in the market.