Manchester City and their Premier League rivals continue to wait for a verdict on the allegations of financial rule breaking levelled against Pep Guardiola’s team. City faced charges in early 2023 for allegedly violating financial regulations
The club strongly denies any wrongdoing and they have steadfastly maintained this stance throughout the past 33 months and beyond. City insist they possess a thorough collection of indisputable evidence supporting their stance, with an independent commission hearing the case last year.
That examination commenced in September last year and spanned a dozen weeks, reports the Mirror. It has now been over a year since that process began.
When were the charges issued?
The Premier League declared in a statement on February 6, 2023 that they had referred multiple alleged violations of Premier League Rules by City to a commission.
City voiced their astonishment in their own statement, asserting they had participated extensively and gave the league an enormous quantity of comprehensive materials.
City welcomed the review and anticipated it being ‘put to rest once and for all’ while the Premier League confirmed they would provide no additional commentary on the situation until further notice.
What are the charges?
The alleged violations chiefly involve failing to supply accurate financial information and not correctly declaring player and manager compensation. They face accusations of failing to cooperate with inquiries as well as violating Premier League and UEFA regulations.
What penalties could City encounter?
If City are found guilty of the most severe of their accusations, the ramifications would be huge. Little precedent exists, though, apart from points deductions Everton and Nottingham Forest received for breaches of PSR over the past couple of years.
The league can impose transfer bans and strip titles. City’s ejection from the top-flight entirely could also theoretically be a possibility.
Guardiola hinted at the latter when declaring in November 2023: “Absolutely I will not consider my future [if] it depends on being here [Premier League] or being in League One. Absolutely. There is more chance to stay if we are in League One than if we were in the Champions League.”
What have the Premier League declared?
In short, very little. The league’s chief executive has repeatedly maintained that he cannot discuss the matter publicly until a verdict is final in accordance with their regulations.
He has previously clarified to the BBC: “What we do is we publish charges when they are made and we publish decisions when they are made. The bit in between is managed by an independent panel, and they’re very clear that they want that process to be confidential.”
Masters reiterated in September: “The only point where I can speak publicly about it is when a decision has been handed down.
“I can’t speculate about why or when, that’s all I can say really.”
Why is it taking so long?
The lengthy duration stems from the sheer magnitude of this case.
As reported by The i Paper, the commission has examined over 250,000 documents.
A hearing spanning 12 weeks is also considerably longer than the five days that Everton’s initial PSR case required, which explains why nearly a year has elapsed.
Any ruling is expected to run to hundreds of pages and could be imminent, according to The i.
That view is also echoed by former City adviser Stefan Borson, with the season’s penultimate international break – the final one not until March – appearing an ideal moment.