Manchester City fights back against heavy Premier League sanctions
The Premier League’s independent commission hearings begin on Monday; the club has 115 allegations of breaching financial fair play between 2009 and 2018
Manchester City ‘s trial begins this Monday in relation to 115 charges of breaching the Premier League’s financial fair play rules . The hearings of an independent commission of the English league were scheduled to begin in November, but were brought forward and the case will finally be judged. The expectation is that this process, dubbed the “trial of the century” by the British press , will last ten weeks and that, after potential appeals, the final decision will be made between March and June 2025.
The hearing, which is not a court proceeding, will be held by an independent panel at an undisclosed location. It is made up of three members selected by Murray Rosen, who chairs the Premier League ‘s judicial panel .
The alleged financial breaches are said to have occurred between 2009 and 2018. Manchester City are accused of having breached league rules requiring “best faith” when reporting information “that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position”. During that period, the team won three Premier League titles, including breaking a 44-year league drought.
The Premier League announced the allegations in February 2023, with a series of rules that Manchester City had allegedly circumvented each season. The league highlighted the inaccuracy of information about the club’s revenue (including sponsorship) and operating costs.
The commission will also investigate alleged breaches in the details of payments made to City managers between 2009/10 and 2012/13, when the manager was Italian Roberto Mancini.
The league has indicated that there were possible issues with the information on player pay in contracts between 2010/11 and 2015/16. In addition, the allegation involves breaches of the Premier League’s sustainability rules and UEFA licensing regulations.
The Premier League mentions possible breaches of its rules, from December 2018 to today, regarding cooperation with the league itself for investigations.
Possible punishments
If found guilty on some or all of the charges, Manchester City could face a massive points loss, relegation or even expulsion from the Premier League.
Recently, Everton and Nottingham Forest suffered points deductions last season for single breaches of profit and sustainability rules.
