Manchester City’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has admitted he’s frustrated with his team’s success getting muddied by the Premier League charges looming over their heads.
The champions are in hot water, accused of cooking the books for nearly 10 years to get one over on their rivals, which they strenuously deny.
City stand accused of 115 alleged financial rule breaches, they’re set for a hearing in November, later this year – 18 months after the whole saga kicked off.
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And Al Mubarak is furious that his sides achievements are being overshadowed by the discourse surrounding the alleged breaches. City bagged a treble in 2023 and then made history as the first English squad to win four consecutive league titles this summer.
Al Mubarak fumed: “Of course, it’s frustrating. I think the referencing is always frustrating. Having it being talked about the way it’s being talked about.
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“I can feel for our fanbase, and everyone associated with the club, to have these charges constantly referenced,” he spilled the beans.
“I think we as a club have to respect that there is a process that we have to go through, and we’re going through it. It’s taking longer than what anyone hoped for, but it is what it is, and I’ve always repeated, let’s be judged by the facts, and not by claims and counterclaims.”
Aside from City’s upcoming hearing regarding charges set for later this year, they also dispute accusations relating to the Premier League’s newest version of Associated Party Transaction (ATP) rules.
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City have launched a legal challenge to the rules – which are designed to maintain the competitiveness of the Premier League by preventing clubs from inflating commercial deals with companies linked to their owners.
City claim that the rules have been introduced stifled their success, and they’re looking to seek damages. A hearing has been set for next week – with between 10 and 12 Prem clubs siding with the Premier League.
If City are successful in their claim, they would be able to value their sponsorship deals without independent assessment from the league – vastly increasing the amount of money they could spend on incomings.