Man City’s Hearing for 115 Charges Begins
The hearing into Manchester City’s 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules began on Monday. The charges stem from a four-year investigation, and the club was referred to an independent commission in February 2023.
Manchester City is accused of breaching financial rules between 2009 and 2018, with allegations including providing inaccurate financial information regarding sponsorship income, operating costs, and player and manager payments. The Premier League also claims that City failed to cooperate with the investigation.
City strongly denies all charges, maintaining that their case is backed by a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence.” They have previously described the allegations, originally reported by Der Spiegel, as “entirely false” and based on “illegal hacking and out-of-context publication” of emails.
Breakdown of the 115 Charges:
- 54 counts: Failure to provide accurate financial information (2009-10 to 2017-18)
- 14 counts: Failure to provide accurate details for player and manager payments (2009-10 to 2017-18)
- 5 counts: Failure to comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules (2013-14 to 2017-18)
- 7 counts: Breaching Premier League’s PSR rules (2015-16 to 2017-18)
- 35 counts: Failure to cooperate with the Premier League investigation (Dec 2018 – Feb 2023)
The hearing is expected to last around 10 weeks, taking the process into late November, according to media reports.
