Manchester City have broken their silence on the 115 charges case, confirming in their annual report that the independent commission remains "in the process of reviewing the matter." Nearly two years after the Premier League brought charges, and one year after the hearing concluded, English football's most consequential legal case awaits resolution.
The annual report statement
City's annual financial report, published on Tuesday, contained a two-paragraph reference to the case that has cast a shadow over the club's unprecedented domestic success. The statement was notably unchanged from the previous year's report – a remarkable fact given the hearing concluded 12 months ago.
"As at the date of publishing these financial statements the independent commission is still in the process of reviewing the matter," the report stated. City reiterated their confidence in a favourable outcome, claiming "irrefutable evidence" supports their position.
The brevity of the statement belies the magnitude of the case. If found guilty on significant charges, City could face sanctions ranging from substantial fines to the nuclear option of expulsion from the Premier League.
A timeline of delays
The case has become a study in legal complexity and institutional caution:
February 2023: The Premier League charges City with 115 alleged breaches of financial rules covering the period 2009-2018. The club issues a robust denial, expressing "surprise" at the charges.
September-December 2024: A private hearing is conducted at London's International Dispute Resolution Centre. Lord Pannick KC leads City's legal team. Closing arguments are completed on December 6.
Early 2025: Verdict expected. Pep Guardiola tells media he anticipates a decision "in one month." No verdict arrives.
March-October 2025: Multiple reported deadlines pass. The second international break (October 4-18) comes and goes without announcement.
December 2025: Commission still deliberating. Former City adviser Stefan Borson suggests decision could arrive before Christmas.
The charges in detail
The 115 charges – reports suggest the actual number may be closer to 130 – fall into five categories:
Financial reporting failures (54 counts): City allegedly failed to provide accurate financial information from 2009-10 to 2017-18. This is the core of the case – allegations that the club misrepresented its financial position to circumvent spending rules.
Non-cooperation (35 counts): The Premier League accuses City of failing to cooperate with investigations from December 2018 to February 2023. This category alone represents nearly a third of all charges.
Player and manager payments (14 counts): Allegations that City did not fully disclose remunerations to staff, with suggestions of undisclosed contracts meaning employees received more than officially stated.
PSR breaches (7 counts): Alleged violations of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules from 2015-16 to 2017-18.
UEFA FFP breaches (5 counts): Failure to comply with UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations from 2013-14 to 2017-18. City were previously sanctioned by UEFA before successfully appealing to CAS in 2020.
Potential sanctions
The Premier League deliberately avoided creating a "sanctions grid" specifying punishments for particular offences. Clubs feared such transparency would allow teams to calculate whether rule-breaking was worth the penalty.
Precedents from recent cases provide some guidance:
- Everton received an 8-point deduction (later reduced) for PSR breaches last season
- Nottingham Forest received a 4-point deduction for similar violations
However, the scale of City's alleged breaches far exceeds anything previously seen. Potential outcomes include:
- Substantial points deductions (potentially across multiple seasons)
- Large fines
- Title stripping (for championships won during the period of alleged breaches)
- Expulsion from the Premier League (most extreme scenario)
Legal experts suggest outright expulsion is unlikely but not impossible. The commission would need to set a punishment severe enough to effectively guarantee relegation rather than directly demoting City to the EFL, which the Premier League does not control.
The appeals process
Whatever verdict emerges, both parties can appeal within 14 days. Any appeal would be heard by a new three-person commission selected by Murray Rosen KC, chair of the Premier League's judicial panel. That decision would be final – neither side can appeal further to CAS.
City are expected to contest any guilty verdict vigorously. The club's legal resources far exceed those available to the Premier League, and an appeal could extend the saga for months beyond the initial ruling.
Wider implications
The case has frozen Premier League governance. Financial regulations are widely acknowledged to need reform, but meaningful changes await the City verdict. The league's credibility – and the integrity of its competition – depends on the outcome.
For rival clubs, the stakes are enormous. If City are found guilty of inflating their financial position over nine seasons, questions will be raised about the legitimacy of titles won during that period. Liverpool, who finished second multiple times during City's dominance, would have particular interest in the outcome.
City's separate legal victory over Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules adds another layer of complexity. The club successfully challenged regulations governing commercial deals, with a tribunal ruling aspects of the rules unlawful. The Premier League's regulatory framework is under sustained assault.
Guardiola's commitment
Despite the uncertainty, Guardiola recently signed a new contract extension at the Etihad Stadium. The Catalan has consistently called for resolution: "I wish from deep in my heart to go to the trial, the independent panel – and I say it again, independent panel – and as soon as possible they release what happened, and we will accept like always we have done."
Whether that acceptance extends to severe sanctions remains to be seen. For now, Manchester City and English football wait.
