Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has shared his thoughts on the Premier League charges faced by Man City as Liverpool and other clubs await a resolution to the case
Liverpool boss Arne Slot and Man City manager Pep Guardiola
Liverpool boss Arne Slot and Man City manager Pep Guardiola
(Image: Getty Images)
The chairman of Manchester City couldn't help but wear a smile as he repeated his promise to discuss the Premier League charges the club faces after the final ruling is delivered, yet in this instance, he finds himself just as in the dark and powerless as everyone else. With no set date for the verdict's release, there's a collective suspense.
This case's gravity makes it one of football's most significant narratives, sparking widespread anticipation for its conclusion. Despite nearly two-and-a-half years passing since the allegations surfaced, they remain a hot topic among football circles.
A recent episode of The Overlap delved into City's prolonged legal issue, where pundit Gary Neville called out the delay in reaching a verdict as a 'disgrace', echoing the exasperation felt by many observers. Even more intriguing were the insights from football finance guru Kieran Maguire regarding the likely outcome.
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On being quizzed about the situation, Maguire highlighted the challenge the Premier League faces in substantiating the trio of core charges against Liverpool's rivals, including one which seems poised to land the club in hot water, reports the Manchester Evening News.
"In terms of the effective accusation of fraud against Manchester City, taking money from the club owners and disguising that as sponsorship revenue, Manchester City have to be party to the guilt of that, the sponsors have to be party to the guilt of that, and the auditors have to be incompetent or in on it - and they won't be in on it," Maguire said.
"If that is proven, there will be a very severe penalty and the board of directors of Manchester City would have to follow the same route as Juventus and resign."
Maguire added that non-cooperation with the Premier League might lead to a fine for City. "The other issue is non-cooperation with the Premier League," he added.
"I think that City will quite happily say they haven't co-operated. If they get found guilty of that, there will be a penalty in terms of a fine because it's a fiscal issue.
"The third issue [is] of paying managers and players off-book. It's more complicated but more likely to be found guilty in terms of the burden of proof because the auditors wouldn't be involved because it's a private arrangement.
"Roberto Mancini was accused but didn't attend the hearing because he's under no obligation to do so, so where's the proof? It's really difficult."
Reflecting on the lengthy investigative process, he noted the extended duration taken for a verdict due to the overwhelming amount of information presented during the three-month hearing. "It took 14 weeks to hear all of the evidence. I believe there were half a million pieces of written evidence submitted by both parties," Maguire said.
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The protracted nature of the investigations has been a source of frustration for many, awaiting a definitive resolution on the matter.
"That means that the commission has an awful lot. They have to get the decision right, but we stopped the hearing in the second week in December.
"We're six months later in to the case and nothing has come out of it. It's frustrating."