Man City charges latest – verdict timeline and possible punishments | Football | Sport

Manchester City and the Premier League are on tenterhooks as they await the verdict of their long-drawn-out charges saga. The club was handed 115 alleged breaches of financial fair play rules over a nine-year period, starting in 2009 following the takeover by Abu Dhabi United Group and continuing until 2018.

The club has vehemently maintained its innocence on all counts and has consistently stated it will clear its name. In addition, City have been accused of failing to co-operate with the investigation into their finances. After a 12-week hearing which kicked off in September 2024, Pep Guardiola announced the club were expecting to hear the verdict “within one month”. However, a year later, the decision is still under wraps. With the situation shrouded in uncertainty, Express Sport provides you with everything you need to know about the alleged charges.

Where did this all start?

The charges were first thrown at City back in February 2023, which quickly prompted a robust denial from the club. The case is unparalleled in scale and the outcome of the hearing, whether they are found guilty or innocent, will have far-reaching implications. Claims of financial misconduct were initially published by German newspaper Der Spiegel in 2018, alleging illicit payments had taken place at the club.

What exactly are these 115 charges?

The charges can be divided into three categories: illicit financing, non-cooperation and breaches of financial rules within UEFA and Premier League regulations.

City stand accused of:

• 54x Failure to provide accurate financial information 2009/10 to 2017/18.
• 14x Failure to provide accurate details for player and manager payments from 2009/10 to 2017/18.
• 5x Failure to comply with UEFA’s rules including Financial Fair Play (FFP) 2013/14 to 2017/18.
• 7x Breaching Premier League’s PSR rules 2015/16 to 2017/18.
• 35x Failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations December 2018 – February 2023.

Could Man City face relegation if found guilty?

It’s difficult to say. Given the unprecedented nature of the case, the range of potential punishments could be limitless, with all options on the table.

Relegation is a possibility – albeit an unlikely one – as is the stripping of their titles, transfer embargoes, points deductions and fines. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire spoke to the Manchester Evening News in April, saying: “We don’t know if Manchester City are innocent or they’ll be proven guilty of any of the charges. There’ll likely be a further wait before the tariff is announced and we find out whether it’s a financial penalty or a points deduction, nuclear option which would be kicking them out of the league but I think most people think it’s unlikely.”

It’s important to reiterate City have vehemently denied any wrongdoing and claim to have irrefutable evidence to support their stance.

Why is the verdict taking so long?

In short, the sheer number of charges and the severity of the accusations are why the case has dragged on for so long. Comparing City’s case to those brought against Nottingham Forest and Everton previously, Maguire said to the BBC: “The Forest and Everton cases were, to a certain extent, very clear-cut.

“They were an open-and-shut case,” Maguire told the BBC. There was 50,000 pieces of evidence put forward by both parties. In the case of Manchester City, you’re going to have to multiply that by probably a factor of 10, so we could be looking at half a million pieces of evidence, which have to be reflected upon by the three people in the commission.

“They’re also in demand in their own jobs so trying to get them around a table on a regular basis isn’t necessarily easy and that’s why eight months later we’re still not really further down the road in terms of a conclusion to the evidence referral and then making a verdict.”

What have Man City said?

Following the announcement of the charges in February 2023, City issued a strongly-worded statement rejecting all allegations and expressing they were “surprised” by the Premier League’s accusations. City state they welcome the independent commission, citing their “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” supporting their claimed innocence. The statement said: “As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”

Last September, Guardiola said he was “happy” the case was beginning, before suggestingall other Premier League clubs wished to see City sanctioned.

What has the Premier League said?

Richard Masters, the Premier League chief, declined to reveal the start date of a hearing when questioned by a Government panel at the beginning of 2024. He cited the case involved private matters.

Masters further explained his reluctance to provide a date to the BBC, stating: “Quite simply, it’s not within our rules to be able to do so. What we do is we publish charges when they are made and we publish decisions when they are made. The bit in between is managed by an independent panel and they’re very clear that they want that process to be confidential.”

In July 2025, Masters was once again asked about a decision. He responded to NBC saying: “You can ask but our rules are very clear, it’s a confidential process so I can’t give any information on timing or anything like that,” he told NBC. “I can’t add anything on that.”

After former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy criticised the lengthy process last month, Masters said: “The only point where I can speak publicly about it is when a decision has been handed down. I can’t speculate about why or when, that’s all I can say really. Daniel is not in the same position as me and I can’t talk about it.”