Premier League case against Manchester City begins trial in London
Since 2009, 115 alleged infractions have been attributed to ‘citizens’. Inflated payments from Etihad and Mancini’s contract are the most ‘worrying’…
The case brought by the Premier League against Manchester City , which is accused of breaking or circumventing the competition’s financial rules, creating conditions for unfair competition with other clubs, began this week at the International Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC) in London. The case will be decided by an independent panel of experts whose identities are unknown.
At issue are 115 alleged offences committed by citizens between 2009 and 20223:
– 54 due to lack of financial information (2009/18);
– 14 due to lack of precise information regarding payments to players and directors (2009/18);
– 5 for breach of UEFA financial fair play (2013/18);
– 7 for failure to comply with Premier League financial sustainability rules ((2015/18);
– 35 for failure to cooperate with the Premier League in its investigations.
From a practical point of view, Manchester City’s biggest vulnerabilities appear to lie in the allegedly inflated payments made by the airline Etihad to the club (something that will always be difficult to prove), and also some doubts surrounding the form of payment for former coach Roberto Mancini’s contract, which had already been made public in the Footbaleaks publications. Manchester City has countered that this is isolated and decontextualized information, and that it was obtained in the context of theft by hackers.
The IDRC expert panel meetings are expected to continue at least until the end of November, with no prospect of a decision before the first quarter of 2025. Sanctions, if any, could range from simple fines to points deduction or relegation.
There will be no appeal to the CAS against the decision, but a new panel may be convened, with other independent members, which will again entail astronomical expenses, not only in costs, but also in lawyers’ fees. Manchester City is represented by Lord Pannick, who was previously Boris Johnson and Elizabeth II’s lawyer and charges €5,000 per hour, and the Premier League, after initially being linked to the law firm Linklaters, will now be represented by sports law specialist Adam Lewis.
A case that has all the ingredients to drag on in time as one of the great soap operas of 2025.
