Manchester City and the Premier League have agreed a date for the trial over the Cityzens 115 financial fair play charges, with late Autumn 2024 being provisionally pencilled in.
The champions have been accused of breaking FFP rules approximately 100 times between 2009 and 2018, whereby City won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups.
Manchester City’s 115 Financial Fair Play Charges
The Premier League’s financial fair play rules are effectively designed so that clubs spend on par with what they earn and bring in, something of which Manchester City have been accused of abusing over the nine-year period. According to the Premier League, the Cityzens were hiding how much they were earning and/or how much they were actually spending. Thus, meaning they weren’t providing correct and accurate financial information.
One of the charges in particular relates to a former manager who was rumoured to be paid a lot more than what his official contract stated. It’s suggested the manager in question had a ‘secret’ contract, meaning he and City could more easily hide what his financial package actually was.
Other charges indicate the Premier League alleges that City didn’t abide by UEFA’s financial fair play rules over an undisclosed five-year period. City have also been accused various times of not fully co-operating with the Premier League when requested and in terms of sponsorship, they have been accused of overstating their income and hiding the true source of revenue. Not disclosing full financial details of player wages is something else that has come under scrutiny.
🚨EXCLUSIVE
📅 Date pencilled in for Premier League v Manchester City
🔵 Trial expected late autumn next year
🗒️Witness statements currently being gathered
👨⚖️ Verdict could be end of 24/25 season
🖊️https://t.co/Jma6HdfziZ— Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) November 30, 2023
Manchester City’s Possible Punishments
Manchester City’s possible punishments for their 115 financial fair play charges could see them hurt in many ways. Perhaps the most obvious two punishments would be to hit with a sizeable points deduction, something that would only apply to the current season they are found guilty in, with the verdict expected at the end of the 2024/25 season. The other would be to face expulsion from the Premier League, seemingly harsh but it’s not out of the realms of possibility.
The more likely punishments would be a transfer ban and/or not being able to register new players, paying a fine for breaking the 115 financial fair play rules, the possibility of league games being replayed and being suspended from playing Premier League matches.
If City were to be found guilty of all of or a portion of the charges they currently face, they will almost certainly appeal to get the decisions overturned. They were successful in doing so when UEFA banned them from playing in the Champions League in February 2020, only paying a reduced fine of £8.9m as opposed to the original £26.8m.
Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has not shied away when facing questions about the club’s 115 financial fair play charges. The Spaniard has been at the Etihad since 2016 and has won 15 trophies, including the treble in 2022/23, which has further cemented his legendary status in the blue half of Manchester.
“What I would like is if the Premier League and judges could make something as soon as possible.
“Then, if we have done something wrong, everybody will know it and, if we are like we believe as a club for many years, [done things] in the right way, then the people will stop talking about it.
“We would love it tomorrow. This afternoon better than tomorrow.
“Hopefully they are not so busy and the judges can see both sides and decide what is the best, because in the end I know fairly what we won we won on the pitch and we don’t have any doubts,” he said in May 2023.
Guardiola certainly didn’t get his quick resolution but he and the hierarchy at City can now at least get prepared for what some are calling the football ‘Trial of the Century’ for this time next year.
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