Manchester City have racked up a £30m legal bill since the end of the 2023/24 financial year as they battle to clear their names against the Premier League.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and the remainder of the Premier League have been waiting with bated breath to hear the outcome of an unprecedented legal battle. In February 2023, the Premier League charged City with 115 alleged breaches of their Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
These breaches mainly boiled down to how the club was paying the wages of managers and players between 2009 and 2018. During that time, City became a force in English football and won three Premier League titles.
Throughout the process, the Blues have been adamant that they are innocent and were in possession of 'irrefutable evidence' that would clear them of the charges. Unfortunately for City, due to the complex nature of the charges, a hearing date was not set until September 2024.
Held in front of an independent panel in London, the hearing would last two months with it retiring in December. Since then, we have been waiting for a verdict to be published but that has not been forthcoming yet.
Such a prolonged legal process comes at a cost for both City and the Premier League and the first bill for the Blues is now clear. According to The Sun, City Football Group has spent £30,596,000 on legal costs compared to £10.7m the year before.
They claim that this full figure is the running cost of the legal battle with the Premier League and unfortunately for City's owners, the bill will only grow next year. Should City be found guilty, it is unclear how severe the punishment could be for them.
It has been suggested that massive fines, points deductions and even expulsion from the Premier League could be on the cards for City if they are guilty. However, we can also expect an appeal from whichever side is on the losing end of the panel's decision.