- Manchester City remain under scrutiny as the Premier League’s independent panel reviews 115 charges of alleged financial breaches
- A private hearing took place between September and December 2024, with both legal teams presenting arguments
- The three-person panel is set to deliver a verdict by early 2025, but punishment will require a separate process
Premier League champions Manchester City remain under intense scrutiny as the Premier League’s independent panel continues its review of the 115 charges levelled against the club over alleged financial rule breaches.
While a verdict is expected before the end of the 2024/25 season, reports suggest that even if City are found guilty, immediate sanctions may not follow.
The charges, spanning from 2009 to 2018, include accusations of failing to provide accurate financial information, misreporting player and managerial compensation, and breaching UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) and Club Licensing regulations.
An initial hearing, held privately between September and December 2024, allowed both City and the Premier League’s legal teams to present their final arguments.
A three-person independent panel is now reviewing the case, and while a verdict is expected in the first quarter of 2025, Premier League CEO Richard Masters has hinted that a resolution should come before the current campaign concludes.
However, the panel will not determine the club’s punishment if a guilty verdict is reached. Instead, a separate process will be required to decide on sanctions, which could then be appealed by either City or the Premier League.
What could happen to Manchester City?
City, who have denied all allegations, face potential consequences that range from hefty fines to points deductions or even relegation. Financial expert Kieran Maguire recently suggested that while outright relegation is unlikely, a points deduction severe enough to send City down could be a possibility.
City manager Pep Guardiola previously stated in February that he expected a verdict “within a month,” but little information has surfaced since the hearing was conducted behind closed doors.
The uncertainty surrounding the case has raised questions over how and when any potential punishment would be implemented.
Will Manchester City be punished this season?
One of the biggest unknowns remains whether Manchester City’s punishment, if found guilty, would take effect in the current season or be pushed into the next campaign. Given that the panel's decision may still be contested, the legal battle could extend beyond the summer.
For now, City continue their pursuit of domestic and European success, but a cloud of uncertainty looms large over the club’s future.
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