Latest Premier League news as Liverpool wait for any outcome of Manchester City's alleged breaches of financial rules
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'Nobody knows' when the verdict of Manchester City's alleged Premier League financial rule breaking trial will arrive, claims one expert
(Image: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Nobody knows when the final verdict will arrive for the Premier League's hearing against Manchester City over alleged breaches of financial rules, claims the club's former advisor Stefan Borson. From the outside looking in Liverpool await to discover the fate of their big rivals with recent reports giving an inkling of a conclusion arriving very soon.
In a trial that seems to have gone on for all of time, the reigning champions were first dealt charges of over 115 alleged counts of financial rule breaking by the Premier League in February 2023, looking back at the nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. Vehemently denying all accusations, Liverpool's recent title rivals have undertaken a drawn-out legal process that only concluded in December of last year.
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Since, an independent panel have been reviewing each and every single charge involved ranging from the most serious alleged financial infringements to Man City's supposed lack of cooperation. It is a meticulous process, though one that Pep Guardiola has suggested could be complete with results published at any stage of this month.
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But despite this suggestion that the final week of March could be the one that the landmark verdict is delivered in, former Man City financial advisor Borson has told Football Insider that he has spoken to stakeholders in recent days and warned that as 'nobody knows' when a verdict will arrive, it appears as if one will come without prior notice.
"I can tell you from lots of conversations I’ve had over the last week, nobody knows. This is a very well-kept secret, and nobody has got any indication of definitively when it’s coming. Nobody believes that it’s close because of things they’ve heard.
"That’s not to say it won’t come today. It may come today, but if it is coming today, it’s not because two or three people in the media or close to the club have heard it’s really close. It will just drop."
Borson was speaking as part of a wider rant targeted towards the club he used to work with and those in power at Premier League headquarters over their handling of the whole case.
He had said: "I do think the Premier League and City to an extent could have done a better job. I think this could have been agreed with all the parties.
"I have said it right from the start there should have been a published timetable, at least with estimates as to when we can expect the hearing itself, the decision to come out, the next phase, and the explanation of what the process is.
"At the moment, what you’ve got is a situation where it might happen at any point. Something that’s very significant not just to the future of football but to the future of Manchester City employees because you would think that, if a lot of this stuff goes against City, then there would have to be some adjustments to City’s cost base, which as we know from what’s happened at United can involve real people and real jobs.
"I don’t think it’s been well handled in that respect and I don’t think that there was a particular problem in giving a bit more guidance as to when we could expect the decision to come out.
"We sit here today thinking this week would have been a possible time to release it. Next week could be a possible time to release it. But equally, it is perfectly plausible that this doesn’t come out until the summer or even later, so we really don’t know.
"It doesn’t feel like the best way of doing things from the Premier League and City’s perspective, but that’s the process we have. That’s what we thought we were going to get. That’s where we are."
So with this sense that the bomb could be dropped at any point in time without warning, the Reds can only act as bystanders to whatever happens.
Whatever the verdict, it is destined to send shockwaves across the Premier League. Especially if Man City are slapped with a guilty verdict then punishments speculated so far have ranged from points deductions large enough to cause relegation, stripped titles, financial penalties or transfer embargoes.