The Premier League first brought charges against Manchester City in February 2023, with a verdict following last year’s hearing finally said to be by the end of 2025.
Manchester City and the rest of the Premier League are waiting with bated breath to hear the outcome of the financial accusations against manager Josep Guardiola’s team. Citi was indicted in early 2023 for allegedly violating longstanding financial rules.
Citi vehemently denies any wrongdoing and has consistently engaged in wrongdoing over the past 33 months. The club insists it has irrefutable and comprehensive evidence to support its position, which was fairly considered by an independent committee late last year.
The review began in September and lasted 12 weeks. It’s already been over a year since it started.
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When was the claim issued?
The Premier League announced in a statement on 6 February 2023 that it had referred City’s alleged breach of Premier League rules to a commission. City expressed surprise in its own statement, claiming it had been involved extensively and provided the league with a vast amount of detailed documentation.
Nevertheless, they welcomed a review of the issue, adding that they hoped it would be “abandoned once and for all”. The Premier League has confirmed it will not comment on the matter until further notice and the league is true to its word.
What are the charges?
The alleged violations primarily relate to failing to provide accurate financial information and failing to accurately report player and manager compensation. They are effectively charged with failing to cooperate with the investigation and breaching Premier League and UEFA regulations.
54x Failed to provide accurate financial information between 2009/10 and 2017/18. 18.35x Failed to co-operate with Premier League investigation from December 2018 to February 2023. 14x Failed to provide accurate details of player and manager payments between 2009/10 and 2017/18. 7x Breach of the Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR). 2015/16 to 2017/18.5x Did not comply with UEFA regulations, including club licensing and Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations from 2013/14 to 2017/18.
What sanctions could Citi face?
If Citi is found guilty of the most serious charges, its sanctioning powers would be unlimited. There is little precedent, with Everton and Nottingham Forest receiving point deductions for PSR violations.
The league could impose a transfer ban or strip them of their title. In theory, removing them from the top flight entirely could be an option.
Guardiola hinted at the latter in November 2023, saying: “I would never think about it if my future depended on being here (in the Premier League) or in Ligue 1. That’s right. I have a better chance of staying in Ligue 1 than if I were in the Champions League.”
What does the Premier League say?
In short, not that much. The league’s chief executive has repeatedly stated that the matter cannot be publicly discussed until a final decision is made in accordance with the rules.
He previously explained to the BBC: “What we do is we announce the charges when they are made and we publish the decisions when they are made. Everything in between is managed by an independent panel and they have made it very clear that they want that process to be confidential.”
Masters reiterated in September that “the only time we can talk publicly about this is when a decision is made.”
“I can’t speculate about why or when, but that’s all I can really say.
Why does it take so long?
The reason it takes so long is the scale of this incident. As reported by The i Paper, the committee reviewed more than 250,000 documents.
The hearing, which lasted 12 weeks, was significantly longer than the five days that Everton’s original PSR case lasted, which is why almost a year has passed. Every decision can span hundreds of pages.
However, the magazine reports that a verdict is imminent. This is a stance echoed by former City advisor Stefan Bolson, and with the penultimate international break of the season, and the last international break until March, the timing seems perfect.
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