Askume Sep 16 – After a long wait, the independent hearing into 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules by Manchester City will finally begin on Monday.
In what the British media has described as “the sporting trial of the century”, a three-person committee will spend about 10 weeks examining the evidence and is expected to deliver a verdict shortly before the end of the season.
City, who won a record four consecutive English titles, were handed over to an independent commission in February 2023 and face a number of charges between 2009 and 2018.
If City are found guilty of some or all of the charges, they could face penalties or heavy fines, points deductions or even expulsion from the Premier League.
It would put a big star on one of the most successful periods for any club in English football history.
Since being acquired by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, Manchester City have won eight Premier League titles, one Champions League, three FA Cups, six League Cups, the European Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Manager Pep Guardiola, who has been in charge since 2016, welcomed the start of the trial, saying before the weekend that City were innocent until proven guilty.
“It will start soon and then (hopefully) it will end soon. An independent group will decide and I am waiting for that decision,” Guardiola told reporters.
“We’ll see. I know what people expect, what they expect, I know what I’ve read over the years.
“I’m not a lawyer. (Forward) Erling (Haaland) is not a lawyer. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”
The charges against Manchester City include failing to provide accurate financial information, failing to fully disclose player and manager salaries, breaching Premier League and UEFA Financial Fair Play rules, and failing to co-operate with a Premier League investigation.
This is not the first time Manchester City has been in the dock over alleged financial abuses.
In 2020, he was banned from the Champions League for two years by UEFA for exaggerating sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016, but successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Referring the matter to the Premier League’s independent committee, City said they were surprised the league had “published these alleged breaches”.
The hearing, which will take place in private, is set to begin and is likely to last several weeks, which is sure to have an impact on the Premier League as City bid for a fifth consecutive title.
Regardless of the verdict, either party can appeal, threatening to drag the process out until early summer 2025.
Everton and Nottingham Forest were docked points for breaching Premier League profit and fixture rules last season, although Leicester avoided a similar fate after winning an appeal against the Premier League.
