Manchester City’s 115-charge case could continue for years, with the club’s legal battle against the Premier League understood to have moved towards an appeal after an independent tribunal reached its decisions.
The full judgment has not been released, but reports that City had lost on 114 of the 115 charges prompted speculation about the outcome. The leaked information could itself become part of the club’s legal argument that the process was not fair or impartial.
City will contest the findings before a new three-person appeal panel. Should that appeal fail, the club would not be able to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, although the owners could consider turning to the High Court in an effort to clear their name.
Manchester City’s financial rules case
The dispute centres on allegations that the club’s owners put excessive sums into Manchester City and disguised the money as sponsorship income. City have consistently denied breaking the rules and maintain that they possess irrefutable evidence to support their position.
The club has already spent 12 years dealing with legal disputes involving UEFA and the Premier League. In 2014, City paid a £49 million fine for breaching UEFA’s financial fair play rules, while a two-year ban from European competition and a €30 million fine imposed in 2020 were later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
That ruling cleared City of disguising owner funding as sponsorship income and may offer encouragement to supporters as the Premier League appeal approaches.
City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak has again made clear that the club intends to pursue the matter for as long as necessary. In an open letter to supporters, he said: “The Premier League process still has a long way to run and our confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began”.
The scale of the case and the potential sanctions mean it is likely to remain a shadow over Enzo Maresca and his players until the dispute is finally resolved. The outcome will also bear on the reputation of Manchester City and its owners.
The club’s legal challenge has its origins in internal documents obtained illegally by convicted Portuguese hacker Rui Pinto. City have described the material as “out-of-context materials purportedly hacked or stolen” and alleged that it formed part of an “organised and clear attempt to damage the club’s reputation”.
The case has implications beyond football, with the final judgment also expected to affect perceptions of relations between Abu Dhabi and the United Kingdom, which have close trade and diplomatic ties.
