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What is happening about Manchester City charges?

The penalties imposed on Chelsea have reignited interest in the charges made against Manchester City There has been no formal movement in the Premier League’s case against Manchester City for over a year.

Following a four-year long investigation, City were originally charged with 115 breaches of the league’s financial regulations in February 2023 — depending on classification, it could even be understood as 130 breaches.

City deny all charges, but broadly, the Premier League allege that the club breached profit and sustainability rules (PSR) by disguising payments from ownership as sponsorship, and providing undeclared salary or bonuses to players and managers.

The in-person hearing began on September 16 2024, finishing almost three months later on December 6. The three-person independent panel then retired to reach their decision. Fifteen months have now passed without an update.

“I really can’t comment, and there are very good reasons for that,” Premier League CEO Richard Masters said before the start of the season. “As you know, our rules are very clear. I can’t talk about the process in any aspect between the period when allegations and charges are announced until a decision is handed down.”

According to sources on both sides of the case, speaking anonymously to the New York Times because they are not authorised to comment publicly on the proceedings, they have received no update from the independent panel on the timings.

The lack of clarity provided by either party on the exact process of the hearing has led to further questions over what happens when the panel’s decision is reached. For example, it is unclear whether they will recommend any potential punishments or merely decide the question of guilt, while it is also not known whether that potential punishment would be suspended until after any appeal, itself likely to be at least a year-long timeline.

My personal view is that lawyers can take a long time over even apparently simple tasks (I have recently been selling one property and buying another).   That, after all, is how they make their money.  It should also be noted that City's owners have hired some of the very best lawyers and are likely to contest any adverse judgment.

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