- Manchester City are due to defend 115 alleged breaches of financial rules
- It has emerged that their hearing is set to begin in mid-to-late September
- Get breaking Premier League news straight to your phone on Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp channel
A decision over Manchester City‘s 115 alleged charges for breaching the Premier League‘s financial rules is not expected to be made public until spring, according to reports.
The news comes as Premier League chief executive Richard Masters called for a swift resolution to the case, after City were handed the charges back in February 2023.
It had also been revealed that the English league champions’ case had been brought forward from November to begin in mid-September.
Sky Sports have stated that the decision is ‘unlikely to be made public before the spring’ despite previous reports stating City could learn their fate by January.
The hearing, which is being conducted by an independent commission, is expected to last around 10 weeks.
A decision into Man City’s 115 charges for breaching financial rules could be unlikely to be made public until spring 2025
Richard Masters has, meanwhile, called for a swift resolution to the hearing between the league and City
The charges relate to a series of alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules made by City between 2009 and 2018. During that period the Cityzens won three league titles
The commission will then convene to reflect on the facts of the case, which Sky Sports add could take several months to review due to ‘the volume of charges and amount of information to be reviewed.’
City landed in hot water in February, 2023, after they were charged for breaking the league’s financial rules over nine seasons, between 2009 and 2018.
Of the 115 charges, City are facing 54 allegations of a failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009-10 to 2017-18. They are also facing 14 charges for a failure to provide acccurate financial reports for player and manager compensation for that season.
They are also facing 35 charges for failures to comply with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to the present day.
Masters, meanwhile, has called for the case to be resolved quickly.
‘I think it is time now for it to resolve itself,’ he told BBC Sport journalist Dan Roan.
According to BBC Sport journalist Dan Roan, Masters hoped that the case could be resolved quickly
| Type of breach | Number of charges relating to breach | Date of trial | Date of decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009-10 to 2017-18 | 54 | ||
| Failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation from 2009-10 to 2017-18 | 14 | ||
| Failure to comply with UEFA’s regulations, including UEFA’s Club and Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations | 5 | Autumn 2024 | Summer 2025 |
| Breaches of Premier League profitability and sustainability regulations from 2015-16 to and including 2017-18 season | 7 | ||
| Failure to cooperate with Premier League investigations from December 2018-present | 35 |
‘It’s been going on for a number of years & I think it’s self-evident that the case needs to be heard & answered.
The league champions, who won three titles between 2009 and 2018, were charged with failing to provide accurate financial information and details for player and manager payments. But City have denied any wrongdoing.
Masters added to Sky Sports: ‘Everyone wants this to be resolved and I agree with that. I think it does need to be resolved.
He added: ‘It’s not in our hands, it’s in the hands of an independent panel. They’re in charge of the timing and the running of the process and we must let them get on with it.’
The hearing against Man City over their 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules is expected to take place next month
City have launched separate legal action against the Premier League over financial rules
City, though, could appeal some of the charges made against them, should they be found guilty of breaches – which would prolong the process even further
City, though, could appeal some of the charges made against them, should they be found guilty of breaches – which would prolong the process even further.
If found guilty they could face a maximum punishment of expulsion from the top-flight.
They could also find themselves in the same boat as Everton and Nottingham Forest who were each deducted points last season, after the two clubs breached the league’s Profit and Sustainability rules.
Everton were hit with two deductions during the 2023-24 season, relating to interest payments linked to their new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock. The Toffees were first fined 10 points, which was reduced to six following a successful appeal. They were then penalised a further two points.
Forest, meanwhile, were deducted four points after admitting to falling foul of the league’s rules and City could find themselves in a similar position, and may also incur a fine.
The 2023-24 champions have also launched a separate legal case against the Premier League and are suing the Premier League over it’s new financial rules.
Mail Sport understands that City have filed a 165-page legal document in which they have claimed they are the victims of ‘discrimination’ and the regulations that have been approved by their league rivals, are inhibiting their success.
Masters, who remained coy on when City’s hearing into their 115 alleged financial rule breaches will take place, also stated that he was not able to speak on the separate legal case.
The Premier League supremo did admit that the situation over City’s 115 charges had caused some ‘uncertainty and frustration’ but that the league were focused on ensuring that there is fair competition among it’s members.
‘It does matter and I understand if it creates uncertainty and some frustration. But there is no happy alternative to enforcing the rules – which everyone has agreed to at the beginning of each season,’ Masters told Sky Sports.
‘They’ve looked everybody in the eye, shaken each other’s hands and said we’ll abide by these rules. And so the Premier League has to maintain these rules, whatever difficulty or frustration that may make.
‘It is part of maintaining and protecting the Premier League’s competition – it’s core values – competitive competition. And that’s really my role and what I want to continue doing.’