The Premier League have charged Man City with 115 breaches of financial rules.
Manchester City and the Premier League have agreed a date to present their cases to an independent panel, according to reports.
The Premier League have charged the English champions with 115 breaches of financial fair play rules. The club denies all wrongdoing and says it looks forward to presenting its case to the panel.
If found guilty, however, Man City could face the possibility of a hefty points deduction or possible relegation from the English top-flight.
[caption id="attachment_295706" align="alignnone" width="594"] MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan lifts the Premier League trophy after the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Etihad Stadium on May 21, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)[/caption]
Date set for Manchester City's Premier League hearing over 115 charges.
According to Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail, the hearing will take place in late autumn of 2024 after Man City and the Premier League agreed on a start date for the process.
A verdict is not expected until the summer of 2025. Pep Guardiola's contract as the club's head coach is due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season.
If there is a need for an appeals process, the final outcome may not be known for quite some time, according to reports.
Man City would be allowed to appeal any verdict from the independent panel. The Premier League champions, however, would not be able to take an appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), as they did in 2020 when they had a European ban overturned.
Uefa had initially banned Man City from European competition for two years and fined them €30m for breaching financial fair play rules. CAS reduced this fine to €10m and overturned the ban.
Why have the Premier League charged Man City?
The Premier League have charged Man City with 115 alleged breaches of financial rules after an investigation that began in 2018.
Man City are accused of breaching financial regulations from 2009 to 2018, the period following the club's takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group.
Back in February, the Premier League announced that they have been investigating City, saying in a statement:
"In accordance with Premier League Rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today referred a number of alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules by Manchester City Football Club (Club) to a Commission under Premier League Rule W.3.4.”
The rules relate to Financial Fair Play rules, designed to limit overspending and prevent clubs from experiencing serious financial difficulty.
The Manchester club, who have won seven Premier League titles since the takeover, deny all accusations and have sworn to fight the charges. In response to the charges, Man City released a statement saying:
"Manchester City is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with," the club wrote in response to the allegations.
"The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
"As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all."
Earlier this month, Everton were deducted 10 points for one breach of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
There has been speculation that Man City if found guilty on all 115 charges could face relegation or even expulsion from the Premier League.
Read next:
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan lifts the Premier League trophy after the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Etihad Stadium on May 21, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)[/caption]
