The Premier League first charged Manchester City in February 2023, and a verdict from last year’s hearing is now finally due to be forthcoming, reputedly before the end of 2025
Manchester City and the rest of the Premier League are waiting with baited breath for an outcome of the financial charges levelled against Pep Guardiola’s side. City were charged in early 2023 for allegedly breaching financial rules over an extended period.
City vehemently denies any wrongdoing, and they have consistently done so over the last 33 months and counting. The club maintains that it has a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence to support its position, which was considered impartially by an independent commission late last year.
That review began in September and lasted a dozen weeks. It has now been over a year since that started.
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When were the charges issued?
The Premier League announced in a statement on 6 February 2023 that they referred several alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules by City to a commission. City expressed their surprise in a statement of their own, claiming they had engaged extensively and provided the league with a vast amount of detailed materials.
Nonetheless, they welcomed the review into this matter, adding that they look forward to it being “put to rest once and for all.” The Premier League confirmed they would make no further comment on the matter until further notice, and the league have stuck to its word.
What are the charges?
The alleged breaches primarily concern failing to provide accurate financial information and not accurately reporting player and manager remuneration. They are face charges of failing to co-operate with investigations as well as breaching Premier League and UEFA rules.
- 54x Failure to provide accurate financial information from 2009/10 to 2017/18.
- 35x Failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to February 2023.
- 14x Failure to provide accurate details for player and manager payments from 2009/10 to 2017/18.
- 7x Breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) 2015/16 to 2017/18.
- 5x Failure to comply with UEFA’s rules, including club licensing and financial fair play (FFP) regulations from 2013/14 to 2017/18.
What sanctions could City face?
There is unlimited sanctioning power if City are found guilty of the most serious of their charges. Little precedent also exists, aside from points deductions Everton and Nottingham Forest had for breaches of PSR.
The league can impose transfer embargoes and revoke titles. Their removal from the top-flight entirely could also theoretically be an option.
Guardiola alluded to the latter when saying 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 said?
In short, not a lot. The league’s chief executive has repeatedly stated that he cannot discuss the case publicly until a decision is final in accordance with their rules.
He has previously explained 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 length of time it is taking is because of the scale of this case. As reported by The i Paper, the commission has reviewed over 250,000 documents.
A hearing lasting 12 weeks is also significantly longer than the five days that Everton’s original PSR case lasted, which is why almost a year has passed. Any decision is likely to consist of hundreds of pages.
However, the publication reports that a verdict is imminent. That is also a stance that former City adviser Stefan Borson also shares, with the season’s penultimate international break, with the final one not until March, seeming an opportune moment.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
