The most important trial in the history of British football began yesterday, under a veil of secrecy, at the International Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC) in London. The first hearing of a process that threatens to bring down the dynasty of Manchester City, accused of violating the financial regulations of the English league. After a four-year investigation, the Premier League itself has decided to send its champion before an independent commission, which will determine its fate. While the club owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group denies all charges, relying on what it considers a "broad spectrum of irrefutable evidence," the rest of Europe's top clubs await news about the future of the sky blue empire.
In total, there are 115 infractions, broken down as follows: 54 for not providing financial information (2009-2018), 14 for providing detailed information on payments to players and executives (2009-2018), five for breaching UEFA's Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules (2013-2018), seven for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules (2015-2018), and 35 for not cooperating with Premier League investigations between December 2018 and February 2023.
What are the most serious accusations?
The charges that should concern City the most are related to inflating revenue through sponsorship deals with Etihad, as well as concealing costs by not declaring payments for image rights and some salaries to former coach Roberto Mancini. Many of these alleged infractions were uncovered thanks to the revelations of Football Leaks published by the German magazine Der Spiegel, which the club considers "out of context," as they believe those emails and text messages were "hacked or stolen."
How long will it last, and when will there be a verdict?
It is expected that the hearings will last for at least 10 weeks, so, at best, a verdict may not be expected until late November. However, not even after this period is an immediate sentence foreseen. At least that was the case last October with Everton, a much less complex case resolved after a month of waiting. Given the possibility of being found innocent of some offenses and guilty of others, it is likely that everything will drag on for much longer, so there would be nothing definitive until the early months of 2025.
What fate awaits if found guilty?
The range of sanctions ranges from minor penalties, such as a fine or point deduction in the Premier League standings, to others that could be considered historic: being stripped of some of their titles or relegation to the Championship, the second tier of English football. In 2020, UEFA already imposed a two-year ban on City from participating in the Champions League for inflating sponsorship revenues between 2012 and 2016, although their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) saved them from the punishment. Last season, Everton lost six points and Nottingham Forest lost four for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. Leicester City, on the other hand, avoided a similar penalty after their appeal was successful.
How will it affect Pep Guardiola?
The glorious era of the coach, who has won the last four editions of the Premier League, could suffer a severe setback just as he is entering the final year of his contract. Pep Guardiola's strong support for his superiors, reiterated over the past few months, contrasts with his previous threat to leave: "I have already told them that if they lie to me, I won't be here the next day," he warned in 2022, without mentioning Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. An exemplary punishment would also raise many doubts about the future of the team's stars, including Erling Haaland.
Since February 2023, when work began, an independent panel has been preparing for the hearings, which will be held behind closed doors. The identity of these experts, responsible for issuing the written verdict, is currently unknown.
Who will serve as lawyers?
The City's legal team is led by Lord Pannick, a former lawyer for Boris Johnson and Queen Elizabeth II who previously worked with the club during their disputes with UEFA. His fees are around 5,000 euros per hour. As for the Premier League, it is likely to change its legal representation. If a year ago they hired the Linklaters law firm, now they are expected to work with Adam Lewis, a sports law expert.
These types of cases cannot be appealed to CAS, but the parties could appeal and organize a new hearing with another panel. It is also important to consider the exorbitant legal costs, as after six years of proceedings, the lawyers' fees already amount to tens of millions of euros.