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Manchester City’s financial probe begins: The independent hearing into Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City’s alleged 115 breaches of Premier League financial rules kicked off yesterday, according to Reuters. Dubbed the “sports trial of the century” by British media, a three-member commission will review extensive evidence over the next 10 weeks, with a decision anticipated before the season concludes next May. Appeals from either side could potentially push the process into summer 2025.
Background: The club, owned by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group, was referred to the commission in February 2023, with the legal process now stretching over 18 months. The charges cover a period from 2009 to 2018, following the Abu Dhabi group’s acquisition of the club in 2008 for a sum valuing the club’s equity and debt at EUR 200 mn (USD 360 mn). The group acquired the club from former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
City’s been in hot water before: In 2020, the football club was banned from the Champions League for overstating sponsorship revenue but successfully appealed the case.
The charges include, according to the New York Times :
- 54 charges of failing to provide accurate financial information;
- 14 charges of failing to disclose full details of player and manager payments;
- Seven charges of breaching net income and sustainability rules;
- Five charges of failing to comply with UEFA’s FFP regulations;
- 35 charges of failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations.
A guilty verdict may see City face potential penalties, fines, or even demotion from the Premier League.
City has raised its own case against the Premier League, challenging its rules on associated party transactions in a separate legal case in June. The club argued that they suffered “discrimination” under the new rules, alleging they amounted to a “tyranny of the majority.” A verdict is expected in the coming weeks, and a favorable outcome could bolster their defense in the Premier League’s ongoing case against them.
