More than 3 years have passed since the Premier League announced allegations against Manchester City related to a series of suspected financial violations. Most of the allegations revolve around evading financial regulations, from accounting fraud, off-book payments to non-cooperation with investigating agencies. Man City has denied everything.
Depending on the number and severity of charges (if convicted), the Etihad Stadium team may face many penalties: fines, points deduction, title revocation, and even being excluded from the Premier League. In addition, they also risk having to compensate for damages through the league's refereeing mechanism if other clubs prove revenue losses. An independent council of three members will make a final ruling.
Stefan Borson, Head of Sports at McCarthy Denning law firm in London, shared: "Although the complexity of the Manchester City case is undeniable - and almost unprecedented in sports - many similar commercial disputes have been resolved much faster than the 15 months we are witnessing. There are very few legitimate reasons for this prolongation, and urgent progress is needed.
Why is the process so long?
To some extent, it can only be speculated, because the entire process is kept secret. This stems from the regulations of the Premier League itself - allowing defendants to request closed hearings - as well as from British law to protect legal rights in some cases.
The investigation into Man City began in December 2018 after German magazine Der Spiegel published a series of "Football Leaks" documents. However, the public only knew about the investigation in March 2021, after the Supreme Court's ruling against Man City - a team that had tried to prevent investigators from accessing documents. The date of investigation began was later confirmed in official records, but the Premier League did not publicly disclose that Man City was being investigated.
Similarly, the hearings also took place discreetly. The media only knew that they started on September 16, 2024 at the International Dispute Settlement Center in London due to leaked information and images of lawyers from both sides appearing. The hearing ended in December 2024 - something Man City mentioned in the 2024-2025 season annual report. By February 2025, coach Pep Guardiola said the ruling was expected to be made within a month.
However, to this day, the wait is still prolonged, and the future of one of the biggest forces in English football is still uncertain.
Is there a possibility of reaching a settlement agreement?
What will happen if, in parallel with refereeing procedures, the Premier League and Man City are trying to reach a settlement agreement?
After all, the Premier League is actually a collection of 20 member clubs. If everyone agrees on a solution, the case can be closed. However, this possibility is not considered high.
Partly because clubs are known for leaking information, while so far there are no signs of such an agreement. Partly, reaching a solution that pleases all parties is extremely difficult.
Man City may have to admit some violations and accept certain penalties. In return, rival clubs will give up the intention to pursue civil lawsuits to claim financial damages.
A potential direction could be to blame the club's old operating apparatus, arguing that the owners were unaware and even bypassed by the people they appointed. Then, the two sides will negotiate a sufficiently severe penalty. It could be a fine or even stripping of some titles, enough for the affected teams to accept, but not too heavy to the point of weakening Man City's competitiveness.
Why should there be such a balance? Because if the penalty is considered too light, other clubs will not agree and will be willing to let the case continue to be judged by an independent council, even prolonged through appeal levels.
However, the settlement scenario is still considered unlikely to happen. But if there is really a backstage negotiation plan, that can explain why the process is so long.
With the Premier League, closing the case as soon as possible is important. Because even if the final verdict is issued, the loser is almost certain to appeal. And then, the legal process may continue to be prolonged. This is a scenario that is not beneficial for the image and stability of the league.
