Fresh Man City 115 charges verdict claim made with nightmare scenario likely to happen

As the wait for an official verdict continues, a lawyer has provided an insight into Manchester City's 115 charges case which includes a predicted timeline of when the news will drop.

Back in 2023, the Premier League charged City with breaking financial fair play rules on 115 occasions over a nine-year period, with 54 of those relating to a failure to provide up-to-date financial information.

City were establishing themselves as one of Europe's top competitors during that period, which started in 2009 and went on until 2018, spending around €1.44bn on new players, according to figures from Transfermarkt.

They also lifted the Premier League title on three occasions in 2012, 2014 and 2018.

Since the charges were brought against them in 2023, the Manchester-based club have strenuously denied any wrongdoing, claiming a "body of irrefutable evidence" has been provided as part of their defence.

Last year, City's hearing in the case against the Premier League ran across a 12-week period between September and December, with suggestions that a timeframe between the hearing and the judgment would take months given the sheer volume of information involved.

Now, sports lawyer Mo Pasricha has provided a fresh insight into the case.

Pasricha joined Jim White, Simon Jordan and Danny Murphy in the talkSPORT studio to discuss a range of topics, including the debate around profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) and whether it can work in football.

But it was his thoughts on Manchester City's case against the Premier League that brought the most reaction after presenter Jim White asked the all-important question, "Why is it taking so long?"

"I expect the decision before the start the season," Pasricha replied. "I'd hope so, but I think it's important – and I think you guys have distinguished this on previous shows – about a sanction hearing as well as a decision hearing.

"And I suspect that's where, unfortunately, if you are on the right side of winning, and you've got the opposition party wanting to appeal, they will drag it out for as long as possible.

"So if you kind of look into the minutiae of this case, 115 plus charges... if we're instructed on that matter, you're looking at every single rule breach, you're building a case, and for which there needs to be a full response on every single point."

He added: "If you've got a 100, 150 page document that positions yourself, you as the three panel arbitration panel sitting there, need to make sure you've looked at it from both sides and given it the kind of due process it requires."

In short, he expects a verdict will drop before the start of the new season, but believes the process could be dragged out into the 2025/26 campaign due to appeals, meaning further delays – a nightmare scenario for those involved.

The verdict of the case could have a monumental impact on English football, particularly if the club are found guilty of any charges. Possible punishments include significant fines, points deductions, or even potential relegation from the Premier League.

Earlier this month, former City financial advisor Stefan Borson claimed that a verdict may not be too far away, but warned of a potential situation that would be a "complete disaster".

"We're now in a zone where, commercially, if there's any influence at all from the parties - the Premier League or the club - they would want to get that decision out during the close season," he told talkSPORT.

Man City have been charged with 115 alleged breaches of financial rules. Image credit: Getty

"What's the alternative? That it comes out in that three-week period after the Club World Cup, but before the start of the season. And that's sub-optimal.

"We're getting very close to a situation where, if it doesn't come out in the next couple weeks and doesn't come out during the Club World Cup, you're getting very close to the start of the season. Nobody's going to want that. That is a complete disaster."