The Daily Star explains how and how long any potential appeal to the 115 charges Man City have reportedly been found guilty of, as well as what those charges are and what a potential punishment could look like
Manchester City are reportedly expected to appeal the verdict that, as per The Athletic, found them guilty of ‘the majority of’ their 115 misconduct charges.
While the Premier League has not publicly commented on the reported verdict, and the sanctions apparently yet to be decided, many will have questions about exactly what happens next.
The Daily Star is here to take you through some of the big potential ramifications, as well as what is known about the potential appeal timeline and when final decision will be made.
How would an appeal work and how long would it take?
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, sources indicate that City are expected to appeal the guilty verdict.
According to Premier League rules, the club have 14 days after the decision to submit this appeal, which will then see the verdict examined by a three person panel, which is currently headed by former solicitor and High Court judge Sir Gary Hickinbottom. It is not clear at this moment whether that 14 day period has already started.
An appeal would delay the implementation of any fines, points deductions or other punishments handed out, although as the Premier League sees the appeal panel’s decision would be final, and Man City would not be able to re-appeal or take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
An appeal does not necessarily mean that all the evidence will be heard again, nor is it the same as a retrial. The appeal hearing would take place in private, while the final decision would be published on the Premier League’s website.
In terms of how long the appeal takes, there is no dedicated window for a decision to be made. Previous appeals made by Nottingham Forest, Everton and Leicester City have taken between 6 weeks and 3 months for a verdict to be reached. With the scale of Manchester City’s charges, it is possible that their appeal could take longer than these three.
What are Man City accused of
The 115 charges Man City were accused of, and the majority of which they have now reportedly been handed guilty verdicts for, can be split into three areas Speaking to BBC News, Football finance expert Kieran Maguire broke down the three areas.
He explained: “First of all, [there is] an accusation of not complying with the Premier League investigation in to the club’s finances. Secondly, disguising money from the owners which was effectively a gift from the owners as sponsorship income.
“The third accusation is that individuals were being paid off-book. Effectively, an employee – that could be a manager or player – would have a contract to play for Manchester City, but there has also been accusations that they were also being paid by Abu Dhabi organisations which are indirectly or directly connected to the club owner. Therefore, this would reduce the costs and reduce the losses incurred.”
It is not yet been indicated which of the 115 charges Man City have not been found guilty of.
What are the potential punishments
If Man City’s reported guilty verdict were to be upheld, the punishment received could be a serious one, with experts and insiders previously indicating that a points deduction serious enough to cause relegation or even straight expulsion from the Premier League are on the table.
The Premier League has handed out fines, transfer bans and point deductions for financial misconduct in the past.
In recent history, Everton saw six and then two points taken away from them in 24/25 for PSR breaches, while Nottingham Forest were also docked four points.
More significantly, Luton Town were deducted 30 points in 2008/09 for illegal payments to agents and for exiting administration without the required insolvency procedure of a Company Voluntary Arrangement when the club was in the English Football League, not the Prem.
Of course, Man City’s case is in many ways unique from these cases in both what the charges are and the quantity of them, and so any potential punishment if the reported guilty verdict is upheld may look very different than in previous incidents.
What are Man City saying
In a statement, Man City said:” The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.
“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”