Manchester City, one of the Premier League's top football clubs, is currently under scrutiny for alleged breaches of the league's Financial Fair Play rules. The club is awaiting a verdict on 115 charges, with rival clubs Manchester United and Liverpool among those preparing to launch legal challenges should City be found guilty.
The hearing to determine whether Manchester City are guilty of these alleged financial rule breaches is set to conclude next week. The club was charged with 115 counts in February 2023 and has consistently denied all accusations against them. A ten-week trial began in September, which will run until the end of next week.
A verdict is expected in the New Year. However, reports suggest that some of their biggest rivals are already moving to launch a legal challenge seeking compensation if it can be proven that the Premier League club intentionally broke these rules.
Rival clubs lodge legal notices
According to a report by reports, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham have lodged legal notices reserving their right to claim compensation if City are found guilty of more serious charges. These notices were lodged now due to concerns that waiting for an outcome could mean they would be out of time under the statute of limitations.
The six-year statute potentially dates back as far as November 2018 when German magazine Der Spiegel first published allegations against City prompting an investigation by the Premier League.
If found guilty on some serious charges facing them, rival clubs could look at claiming compensation under league’s arbitration rules according to The Times report. Former United manager Jose Mourinho even joked recently about being entitled to a Premier League winner's medal - and a bonus from United - if titles were stripped from Man City during his tenure at Old Trafford.
Charges against Man City
Manchester City is accused of failing to report accurate financial information for nine seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18. They are also charged with not providing full details of former manager Roberto Mancini’s pay between 2009-10 and 2012-13.
Additional charges include failure to provide full details of remuneration in contracts with players between 2010-11 and 2015-16, and non-cooperation with the investigation over a period from 2018 to 2023.
Despite these allegations, Cityzens maintains its innocence. The club has previously stated that they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” supporting their stance against any wrongdoing. As sports fans and betting enthusiasts await the verdict, this case serves as a reminder about the importance of transparency in sports finance. It underscores the need for clubs to adhere strictly to financial rules set by governing bodies like the Premier League.
