The city faces 54 allegations that it failed to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information between 2009 and October 2009. He also faces 14 charges of failing to submit accurate financial reports regarding player and manager compensation over the same period.
The hearings began in September 2024 and lasted 10 weeks, but almost two years later, no verdict has been reached. The case is unprecedented in English football, and the sheer number of charges is said to be part of the reason it took so long.
But former City financial adviser Stefan Bolson says a decision could be on the horizon. He said, “I think it’s going to come pretty soon, but then again, I’ve said it before, right? My best guess and the feeling from everyone involved is that it’s going to come at the end of the season.”
“June is the most likely date, that’s the feeling. I can’t justify now how long it’s going to take to write this up. This is ridiculous territory. It’s clearly ridiculous that it takes 18 months to write up a decision in private arbitration. There’s very little that I’ve heard that would indicate that we’re nearing the end of the writing process.”
Given the departure of Josep Guardiola, any verdict will be taken under the direction of another City manager.
However, the Catalan said before leaving: “I trust them, I spoke to them, I trust how they behaved and how they acted. What happened, what happened. There will be a solution, but none of the staff, the backroom staff, mainly the players and the manager, were here.”
Meanwhile, Haaland was also asked about the issue in March, to which the former Borussia Dortmund ace replied: “Of course you don’t do that when you sign a nine-and-a-half year contract. I said 300 times why I signed the contract. I talked to the club and got a good feeling and in the end I agreed. That’s why.”
