Accusations, timeframe, possible penalties: This is the status of the 115 charges against Manchester City

The Premier League hearing into the allegations against Manchester City regarding financial violations began on Monday. What are the allegations and when will a verdict be reached? This is what you need to know about the 115 charges.

What is ManCity accused of?

In 2018, “Der Spiegel” revealed around 70 million Football Leaks documents in cooperation with the research network EIC (European Investigative Collaborations) and the Portuguese football whistleblower Rui Pinto.

The Premier League examined these documents and, after a four-year review, brought 115 charges against the Manchester club in February 2023. These are violations of Financial Fair Play, according to which each club is only allowed to spend as much money as it earns.

In essence, ManCity is accused of having artificially inflated the club’s income through inflated sponsorship contracts. However, the vast majority of the charges relate to the club’s refusal to cooperate during the proceedings.

What are possible penalties?

If found guilty, Manchester City could face some pretty lucky punishments. In addition to high fines, the Premier League has the option of deducting points from the club in the current or past seasons. This could result in titles being withdrawn. In the worst case, there is a risk of forced relegation or exclusion from the Premier League.

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When is a verdict expected?

The trial, which begins on Monday, is expected to last around two months. British media currently assume that a verdict will be reached by spring/summer 2025.

What kind of verdict is expected?

At the moment, many scenarios are being discussed as possible, from acquittal to forced relegation. A look at the past season shows that the English league takes tough action against violations of Financial Fair Play.

Everton FC were deducted six points and two points from the final table of the 2023/24 season after two violations of Financial Fair Play. Nottingham Forest received a deduction of four points for one violation.

These verdicts cannot simply be extrapolated to the 115 violations committed by Manchester City. Firstly, because they are different cases, and secondly, other factors come into play for the reigning English champions.

Under certain circumstances, the British government could intervene in the case. It confirmed in September 2023 that its embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) had led the proceedings against Manchester City.

The government did not want to comment on the secret talks. One thing is clear: bilateral relations between Great Britain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have grown significantly in recent years. In September 2021, the UAE agreed to invest £10 billion in British green energy, technology and infrastructure.

It is not known whether such payments are at risk in the event of a guilty verdict against Manchester City. Meanwhile, the Arab owners of the “Skyblues” are confident of victory. They were surprised by the charges, but had “extensive” and “irrefutable” evidence of innocence, he said in a statement in the spring.

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