Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
timehe Manchester City The case is likely to last at least a year and possibly longer, according to people familiar with the matter. independent The club have also been told that an independent panel of three judges has yet to make a decision, as was revealed when the club published its annual accounts in December.
No one outside knows when the judges will actually rule – it is understood they have been working on other cases. The initial judgment is likely to be one of liability only, with insiders “100 per cent expecting” City to strongly appeal any outcome they deem unfavorable. Manchester City maintains its innocence.
Other sources insist the grounds for appeal are limited. Premier League As a rule, this cannot take more than a year, unless the situation in the Premier League is considerably flawed.
The investigation has been a topic of discussion at another stage over the past few weeks because of the fact 2026 represents the ninth year The case has been ongoing since the Football Leaks incident in November 2018, and the manner in which the club continues to spend its money. if city Add Crystal Palace’s £35m Marc Guehi Antoine Semenyo said the net transfer spend from the end of the hearing in December 2024 would be almost £500m.
This has angered some in the Premier League but has also brought a certain amount of fatigue. Many clubs now just want the process to be over, especially with legal bills believed to be running into tens of millions of dollars for both parties. If there are any appeals, that number could still rise significantly.
While many around Manchester City were frustrated when the case was brought, especially ahead of a big game like Saturday’s Manchester derby, the reality is that the uncertainty is just as relevant to supporters. No club should let this go on for so long, especially given the potential consequences.
The length of the investigation could mean further distortions of Premier League history if City are found guilty of the most serious sanctions, which actually cover a long period of time.
The numbers there are equally striking.
As well as spending billions on transfers and wages since the investigation began, City have won five Premier League titles, a Champions League, two FA Cups and three Carabao Cups. Since the charges were announced in February 2023, a treble and another league title have been won. When you take a step back, it’s remarkable that the world’s most valuable sporting event, and arguably Britain’s most successful export, has seen such disbelief persist for so long. As many as 21% of cases in the Premier League’s history are subject to the pending Manchester City case, which has lasted 86 months out of 401 cases. If you go back to 2009-10 and the first season related to the charges, that percentage increases to 48.4%.
As far as the Premier League is concerned, some senior figures are frustrated by the pace, particularly as they realize the uncertainty created by the lack of solutions. However, they still note the unique complexities of the case and acknowledge that this is just regulation at play. Still, the figures raise a series of questions repeatedly raised by those at the top of football: the game, its process and the regulation of the Premier League.
Why did this case take so much longer than UEFA’s trial?
Manchester City’s appeal against UEFA’s initial case was largely successful on July 13, 2020, a relatively short 20 months compared to the 86 months since the Football Leaks incident. This came after an initial decision in mid-February following a six-month investigation and subsequent one-day hearing in January 2020, which was largely based on the same emails as the Premier League. While the English game is being investigated for much longer due to the lack of a statute of limitations, and sources insist on its complexity, sources on the other hand say “all the information is on a platter”, including documents that were subsequently leaked and that UEFA had been requesting. Football legal figures described the contrasting delays as “baffling”. Although UEFA’s main penalty was overturned, this was attributed to an explanation of technical details rather than a failure of the process.
Does the Premier League have a proper overview of the final process?
Back in 2021, Lord Justice Myers criticized “matters of legitimate public concern” that were taking too long, as the then-new emergency coincided with Alison Brittain’s appointment as Premier League chairman in 2022. Regardless of what any club thinks, the Premier League has a duty to investigate leaks, but questions are now being raised about whether the nature of such an unprecedented case has been adequately defined. Executives now complain that there was not enough consultation on such an important matter, especially on processes, timelines and conclusions.
As one insider said, “Did the board actually address anything before launching? It was just imposed.” The demands have been submitted to the Premier League. Others question whether independent panels should have such latitude. Still, people familiar with the process say some executives have been reminded that these are the rules they signed up for. Even given the complexity of the case, they must proceed according to precedent. Likewise, the latitude of judges is also provided for in the same independent proceedings. As one of the more sympathetic Premier League sources put it, “There’s always a moment in a long case where people get frustrated, but that’s the law at work.”
Why is the case not made public?
This ultimately depends on the rules set by the Premier League, and executives do not necessarily want “dirty washing in public”. Yet that’s often the way justice is served, until you understand how cases like this reflect how competition now has a completely different geopolitical profile. Instead, the Premier League’s current procedures are guided by the UK Arbitration Act, which requires all commercial arbitrations to be conducted privately. Many stakeholders now believe English football should start over in this regard and abolish the system, not least because commercial arbitration makes both parties equal, although such proceedings should be prosecuted. This has now led to the absurd situation where the Premier League’s own rules prevent the process of reporting to the people who actually own the league – the clubs themselves. They currently have no information about what will be integral to their future. Many have pointed out the strange contrast between a global alliance with such vast sums of money and a private arbitration that no one knows about.
If City are found not guilty, what happens next?
While there may be plenty of threats of force, any attempts by clubs to sue the Premier League are unlikely to succeed given the agency’s power to bring charges. Disciplinary proceedings also provide an opportunity for defence. Fears that Manchester City would sue UEFA over lost revenue also fell through. How the Premier League leadership survives remains difficult, with the financial and reputational costs likely to bring significant resignations. Senior figures are said to have become “relaxed” about this recently, which may be significant.
More critical voices also argued that such an outcome would raise questions about the competition’s ability to enforce its own rules, particularly given the unique challenges posed by national-related ownership, although City were able to point to legal outcomes to prove their innocence. Likewise, a Premier League appeal appears less likely than it was a few years ago.
This is both because the most vocal figures on the issue have long since departed, from Arsenal to Manchester United, and because of a general sense of fatigue. Some clubs were not playing in the Premier League during the period to which the accusations relate and do not want to continue spending large amounts of money on legal services that they feel have no impact on them. It’s also widely believed that building up fatigue through a drawn-out process is an obvious strategy by City.
What happens next if City are found guilty of the most serious charges?
While an appeal is effectively guaranteed, it must involve procedural issues and the grounds for appeal are limited by Premier League rules. However, any limitations may also be the subject of challenges. The more pertinent question is the penalty and whether it will be stayed pending appeal. Likewise, the court must be asked what the sanctions should be. What if the results are announced at the end of the season, when a delay of just a month could mean the club misses out on the title or a Champions League spot?
By the same token, some at the club may now insist they don’t care, but if City are found to have cheated, they may be entitled to compensation. There are currently no guidelines on how such claims should be dealt with, or even on whether any monetary compensation is allowed on the pitch under financial rules. The big question then is whether such an outcome would lead to a forced sale under the new rules relating to independent football regulators.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has spoken about how to oust “rogue owners” but insiders were unable to answer questions about whether City would fall into that description if convicted. Nonetheless, there was a clear awareness that this could lead to a diplomatic incident.