Manchester City are waiting to find out the verdict over their 130 charges from the Premier League over alleged breaches of their financial regulations and there could be huge punishments if they are found guilty
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Manchester City players celebrate winning the Premier League
Manchester City could receive millions from the Premier League if they win their 130 charges case
Manchester City could receive millions from the Premier League should they win their 130 charges case against them, as the club anxiously await a verdict. Etihad officials are expecting to hear an outcome soon in their trial against the top flight after being accused of breaching their financial regulations.
The allegations against City have led to fears that Pep Guardiola's men could be handed a huge points deduction due to the volume of charges against them, while some have even claimed they could be expelled from the Premier League in the most extreme punishment.
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But while lots of talk has focused about the possibility of City being guilty, there has been some optimism that the club will avoid the worst punishments after their case was taken on by one of the country's most respected lawyers Lord Pannick KC - who is known to charge high prices for his services.
A football finance expert has told the Manchester Evening News that the Premier League could be forced to pay City's legal costs for the trial should they be found not guilty by the three-man panel deliberating their case.
Stefan Borson said: "Whilst we know from the published Everton costs hearing that there is no restriction on the Independent Commission in terms of costs, it is likely to be asked to, and will, treat the proceedings akin to High Court commercial litigation.
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"In doing so, the general rule is that it is fair for the unsuccessful party to pay the successful party’s costs. This is especially so where a party fails to prove serious allegations of fraud where courts generally award the highest percentage of recovery (known as indemnity costs). Likewise, a finding of fraud against City is likely to give rise to the Premier League getting the vast majority of its costs from City.
"The complexity can arise where, as in City’s case, there is a range of allegations and where the decision may not be binary. In those cases, the courts (and therefore the IC) will look, as a matter of substance and reality, who has 'won.'
"Then it considers whether, despite one party having won in the significant sense, there are any matters which the other party has succeeded on which took a significant amount of additional time and resource to contest. This might include the co-operation charges.
Pep Guardiola
City boss Pep Guardiola previously claimed the club expect to hear a verdict soon
"From there it is for the party claiming costs to show that it’s costs claimed are reasonable and proportionate except if one side is awarded the indemnity costs as could be possible in this case. In summary, if City were to successfully defend all the substantive allegations regardless of the cooperation outcome, they could expect to recover 80-90% of their costs."
Should City be found guilty of the financial breaches, they would be expected to appeal the decision in any event - as they did with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020 after being accused of similar charges by UEFA.
Last month, City boss Guardiola claimed the club were bracing for a verdict in the case imminently. Speaking after the team's FA Cup win over Leyton Orient, he said: "In one month, I think there will be a verdict and a sentence. After that, we will see my opinion of what happened so far."
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