A former Premier League CEO has given an update on Manchester City's 115 charges case with the Premier League ahead of an imminent verdict.
Back in February 2023, City were accused of 115 breaches of financial rules by the Premier League but the legal battle between the two parties did not take begin until September 2024.
The case relating to the charges, which may be as many as 130 due to confusion over a reporting error, was concluded in December after closing arguments from the expensively assembled lawyers representing both sides were heard.
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The verdict is being decided by a three-person Independent Commission panel and no official timeframe has been given, it is understood that the outcome is set to be released in the near future.
City's charges rare in relation to alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018. The club have always strenuously denied all changes and say their defence is supported by a "body of irrefutable evidence".
Speaking on NBC, David Ornstein of The Athletic said the club are "totally confident they will be exonerated and prove their innocence".
Pockets of information from the case have been released and though there is still no official verdict, Keith Wyness, who was CEO at both Everton and Aston Villa, has heard plenty of rumours.
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Citing sources he has placed trust in, he believes City have "done quite well" but predicts both parties will have issues coming out of it.
"All the rumours and there's both sides of the rumour mill are going strongly that Man City are gonna escape, that there's a settlement being done behind the scenes - to the Premier League may well win," Wyness told Football Insider.
"So right now you just pick your rumour and see where it goes. My own gut feeling and the sources that I've been trusting so far would tend towards City doing quite well in this case.
"But I don't think both parties will come out of it unscathed. Let's just wait and see."
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What are the 115 charges?
- Failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009/10 to and including 2017/18 - 54 alleged breaches
- Failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to February 2023 - 35 alleged breaches
- Failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation from 2009/10 to and including 2017/18 - 14 alleged breaches
- Breaches of Premier League profitability and sustainability regulations from 2015/16 to and including 2017/18 - Seven alleged breaches
- Failure to comply with UEFA's regulations, including UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play regulations - Five alleged breaches
In the aftermath of the case, which will have a seismic impact on English football, both parties will have the right to appeal any outcome.
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However, financial expert Kieran McGuire has claimed there are "very narrow grounds for appeal" from a City perspective and that it would hinge on the possibility that the "conduct of the committee itself was unprofessional in some way".
According to BBC Sport, should City be found guilty, the commission would have the right to enforce punishments such as a potential points deduction which could relegate them and a hefty financial penalty.
However it appears as though any respective punishment is unlikely. Matt Hughes, formerly of the Times, claimed that from people he has spoken to, "there seems to be no appetite".
Although it's possible clubs feeling wronged would try to open up compensation claims, any sanctions are poised to be going forward instead of City being stripped of any titles.
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Should City lose, they will not face immediate sanctions as that is not the duty of three-personal panel and will instead rely on a separate process to draw judgement.
Having committed his future to the club with a two-year deal, City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed he will stay put at the Etihad Stadium in the event that City are found guilty and suffer relegation.
Topics: Manchester City, Premier League, Pep Guardiola
Josh Lawless