After years of investigations and hearings, Manchester City have been found guilty of almost all of the 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules, according to reports on Friday.
Below is a timeline of Manchester City’s Premier League financial rules case – from the charges brought in February 2023 to the reported verdict on Friday.
February 6, 2023
The Premier League refers City to an independent commission over more than 100 alleged breaches of financial rules.
City were alleged to have committed multiple financial breaches such as failing to provide accurate financial information, Financial Fair Play breaches, failure to cooperate with investigations, breaching profitability and sustainability regulations and failure to report contracts.
February 10, 2023
City manager Pep Guardiola says the club have already been “condemned” after being charged by the Premier League.
“It’s the same as what happened after UEFA [charges], these are just charges. With UEFA, the club proved it was completely innocent. We are lucky we live in a marvellous country where everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” Guardiola said.
In fact, while CAS found that some alleged breaches of overstating sponsorship revenue were not established, other allegations were “time-barred” because they fell outside the five-year statutory limit for prosecution.
CAS also ruled that City showed a “blatant disregard” and “severe” failure to cooperate with UEFA’s investigators.
May 24, 2023
Guardiola says he would like the financial charges against the club to be dealt with “as soon as possible” after City secured a fifth league title in six seasons under the Spaniard.
“Let’s go. Don’t wait two years. Why don’t we do it quicker? In 24 hours, sit down with lawyers present. Let’s have it as soon as possible for the benefit of everyone,” he said.
June 19, 2023
City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said the club were frustrated by the situation, saying it detracted from the achievements of the team after they achieved a treble.
“I hope people focus and judge them [the players] for their football, what they’re achieving on the pitch and what they’re achieving in every competition they’re in,” he said.
November 15, 2023
City say they earned revenues of 712.8 million pounds ($876.17m) to June 2023 – an increase of 99.8m (16.3 percent) over the previous season, along with a record net profit of 80.4 million pounds ($106.5m).
January 16, 2024
Premier League CEO Richard Masters tells the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee of the UK Parliament that a hearing date has been set for City’s financial rule breach charges.
“There is a date set for that proceeding. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you when that is but it is progressing,” Masters said.
September 16, 2024
Hearing into City’s alleged violations of the Premier League’s financial regulations begins. Held by an independent commission comprised of three judges, it is estimated to last 10 weeks.
October 7, 2024
In a separate independent hearing, both City and the Premier League claimed victory after an arbitration panel ruled on sponsorship deals, known as Associated Party Transactions (APT), that the club was blocked from completing.
December 6, 2024
Hearing into City’s alleged violations concludes, with a decision expected in early 2025.
February 8, 2025
Guardiola said he expected a verdict “in one month”, days after City had spent about 190 million pounds ($251.6m) on new players in the January transfer window.
August 13, 2025
In advance of the 2025-26 season, Masters says they have no influence over the decision and cannot speculate on the timing of the case.
“Legal processes rarely take less time than anticipated. We have to be patient,” he told Sky Sports.
May 22, 2026
Guardiola announces he will leave City at the end of the 2025-26 season, bringing to a close a decade in charge that delivered one of the most successful eras in English football.
June 29, 2026
City appoint former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as manager from the 2026-27 season, tasking the Italian with building on the success achieved under Guardiola.
August 18, 2026
Masters acknowledged growing frustration over the delay in a verdict on the alleged charges against City, saying the process had taken longer than expected.
September 25, 2026
City were found guilty of all but one of the 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, The Athletic and The Times reported on Friday.
The club are expected to appeal, the reports added.
The Premier League declined to comment. “It’s a confidential process, we’re not commenting at all,” a spokesperson said.
City did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, but told the BBC that the inquiry into allegations “remains ongoing”.
Source: www.aljazeera.com
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