It has been more than 15 months since Man City were charged with 115 charges of financial breaches, and an independent commission is expected to hear the case in the “next few months.”
In February 2023, Man City were charged by the Premier League for 115 instances of rule breaches following a four-year investigation into alleged offences starting from 2009/10.
The charges allege that Man City cheated, and if we are to simplify it, it allowed them to sign more and better players than they would normally have been able to under the league’s rules.
It taints and has tainted all they have achieved, and with the likes of Everton and Nottingham Forest having already been punished, the clamour for City’s verdict is growing.
Sky News’ sports correspondent, Rob Harris says “the Premier League have indicated that a hearing is coming in the next few months, we expect.”
As Man City try to land a fourth title in a row, there will be some asking the state of play in the Premier League case while it remains unresolved. Briefly updated pic.twitter.com/p4cCH10CZD
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) May 14, 2024
Harris also states that “City insist they have got an irrefutable body of evidence to prove their case,” which is ironic considering 68 of their charges relate to a failure to provide accurate information.
If the evidence is so irrefutable, why are they in this position in the first place?
Earlier this year, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters stated that “a date is set for that proceeding” against City, but we remain in the dark over the exact time period.
It is still unknown what punishments City could face if found guilty in what has been described as an unprecedented situation.
Points deductions, the stripping of their titles and relegation have all been discussed since the charges were handed down, but we are still clearly some time away from finding out.
The independent commission, who will oversee the case, has limitless power and unlike in 2020, when City went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn their UEFA ban, they cannot go back to CAS.
They could, however, appeal and that would trigger a new hearing and drag it out once again – think we all have money on this happening if they’re found guilty.
City are on the cusp of their fourth league title in a row, but those 115 charges are still hanging over their head and rightly tainting every triumph.
