Copyright GIVEMESPORT
The Premier League and Manchester City continue to go head-to-head legally over the 115 charges the Cityzens are facing, but there is a very real chance nothing comes of it. Man City are chasing Premier League glory once again, but have had the black cloud of financial charges hanging over them since February 2023 for allegedly breaching the financial fair play (FFP) rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. The club is alleged to have concealed payments through third parties by disguising them as sponsorship revenue, and a hearing took place between September and December 2024, but the independent panel is still considering its verdict in the case. There has been speculation that a verdict could be reached imminently, with some suggestions that a guilty verdict could see Man City hit with a severe points penalty or even relegation, while some people believe they could be hit with a mega fine instead. Borson: How Premier League Will React to Losing Man City Case Premier League chairwoman Alison Brittain has come under severe criticism for her role in the case and how long it has taken, but she is set to push for re-election. Her position could come into question if the Premier League are to lose the case against Man City though, after pursuing it for so long and having seen it dragged out, but while speaking to Football Insider, financial expert Stefan Borson believes they will have already prepared an excuse if that happens. “Look, it’s slightly tricky because she’s in an unusual position in that she’s described as the chair but it’s not clear whether she’s executive or non-executive," he said. “Now, I think the way that they would see her is as a quasi non-executive. Now, what that means is that she’s not responsible for the day-to-day running of the business. She oversees it, and, therefore, I think the most likely scenario is if it was to go against the executive team, the executive team will always say, ‘We have an obligation to pursue these claims, and it was an independent process that was something we had to do. “This is in the event that they lose. Obviously if they win, then of course they’re vindicated in terms of pursuing City. But if they were to lose, I think they would still say, ‘Well, we had an obligation. We lost, but we didn’t do anything wrong’. I think realistically that that’s going to cause the executive team some challenges.” Once a verdict is reached, it will become clear if it was worthwhile for the Premier League to take such a stance, but it seems they're prepared for all potential outcomes at this stage.
