Man City 115 charges decision 'could've been reached' as bombshell claim made about £200m case

Manchester City and the Premier League's legal dispute has yet to be resolved(Image: Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Manchester City and the Premier League's legal dispute may have already reached a first conclusion - but now one of the parties could be appealing, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire. City are alleged to have made 115 breaches of Premier League financial regulations, in a case brought in February 2023.

Maguire believes that the three-year saga could already have cost each party more than £100million after a 12-week hearing over the allegations wrapped up in December 2024, with an independent commission set to make a decision. City firmly reject the charges levelled against them.

Amongst City's charges are 54 allegations of failing to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009 until 2018. They additionally face 14 alleged breaches for failing to provide accurate financial reports on player and manager compensation during the same period.

Since the initial revelation, City have won two Premier League titles, the Carabao Cup, and two FA Cups. Arsenal twice finished as runners-up for both of City's title wins.

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During the period the charges relate to, City claimed their first three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three Carabao Cup titles. Additional charges were brought for failure to cooperate with the Premier League, spanning up to the 2022/23 season, with Pep Guardiola leading the side to three Premier League titles, three Carabao Cups, and an additional FA Cup in that time.

Maguire stated he wouldn't be shocked if one side were already challenging an initial decision, considering the lack of information surrounding the proceedings. He conceded that there was no evidence to substantiate such a theory, however.

He referenced a comparable scenario with Chelsea, in which details only surfaced after their appeal of 78 charges.

"We are probably talking hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pieces of evidence, and they have to be gone through with a fine-tooth comb," Maguire outlined on the Rest is Football podcast.

"We saw with the Chelsea case, where Chelsea had 78 charges, that the verdict was given and Chelsea effectively appealed and that took another 3 or 4 months to work out.

Manchester City are awaiting a verdict on their 115 charges(Image: BEN STANSALL, AFP via Getty Images)

"So we could be in a situation, and I have no evidence to back this up, that there has been a decision made on Manchester City and either the Premier League or Manchester City have immediately appealed, and we are now actually working our way through the appeal process to get a final, final answer. We didn't know that (there was an appeal) in terms of Chelsea."

football.london have approached Manchester City and the Premier League for comment.

Back in May, speculation suggested a verdict could still be as much as two years away. The sheer scale of the charges and gravity of the allegations have guaranteed a lengthy wait for what remains an unprecedented case in English football.

"We are now almost two years since the commission first sat, it commenced in September 2024," Maguire said. "It took around about 10-12 weeks to hear all the evidence. As one lawyer said to me, if there are 115 charges, there are 115 defences, so it makes it difficult.

"You have got three people sitting on the commission, all of whom are very high-powered people in their own right, so getting them into the same room at the same time over the course of the last 18-20 months has proven to be very difficult.

"Then, from what I understand and there has been very much a news blackout, you have got to give the people and professionals involved a lot of credit. There are no leaks, no WhatsApp groups with gossip."

The prolonged wait is proving increasingly expensive for both the Premier League and City. Maguire believes both parties will have accumulated nine-figure legal bills.

A decision is yet to be announced over Manchester City's 115 charges of alleged financial breaches(Image: PA)

"These charges are so serious that it is difficult to see how the board of Manchester City could survive if they lose the case and it would be hugely embarrassing for the Premier League if they lose the case because the legal costs for both parties are probably in excess of £100m," Maguire added.

Premier League chief Richard Masters has conceded that proceedings have dragged on far longer than he had anticipated. Speaking last month, he indicated he was in no position to provide any update and that due process must be permitted to run its course.

"Our rules are very clear about that - I have to keep everything confidential until we're ready to hand down a decision and be clear about it," he said. "I can't give any update on timing or what's happening.

"There's only one available route through this, which is to allow the process to take its course. It has taken longer than expected, and I do understand the frustrations.

"I've already said the commission need the time and the space to do their job," he added. "In the end, the Premier League's role is to put allegations, if the evidence is strong enough, in front of an independent commission and allow that commission to establish the truth, and that shouldn't be qualified by the amount of time it takes to get there."

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