Man City fight to avoid sanctions as ‘trial of the century’ begins

AFP | London

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Manchester City will fight to avoid potential expulsion from the Premier League for financial breaches as sport’s “trial of the century” began yesterday. Premier League champions City have been charged with 115 alleged breaches of the competition’s financial regulations.

City deny any wrongdoing and have said they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to clear their name.

But if they are found guilty, they could face a range of punishments, including a severe points penalty or even be kicked out of the Premier League. Everton and Nottingham Forest were both hit by points deductions last season for single breaches of the league’s profit and sustainability rules.

With City winning eight league titles since 2012, including six of the last seven, a guilty verdict could prompt a slew of compensation claims from rival top-flight clubs.

City’s financial affairs have come under regular scrutiny since their takeover by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008. The hearing, which is not a court case, will be heard by an independent commission and could take 10 weeks to complete. City’s legal team were photographed arriving at London’s International Dispute Resolution Centre for the start of the hearing yesterday.

David Pannick from Blackstone Chambers, who is City’s lead barrister, was seen on his way into the venue close to St Paul’s Cathedral in central London. A verdict is not expected to be announced until 2025, with City likely to appeal if they are found guilty. Of the 115 charges, 80 are for breaches of the regulations between 2009 and 2018, while a further 35 relate to failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.

The root of suspicion comes from leaked documents published by German outlet Der Spiegel back in 2018. Emails purportedly sent between City executives showed the club had allegedly inflated sponsorship revenue from Abu Dhabi state-controlled airline Etihad and telecoms firm Etisalat by disguising direct investment from the Abu Dhabi United Group as income.

Other documents claimed to show off-the-books payments to then manager Roberto Mancini via consultancy fees from a club in Abu Dhabi. ‘Irrefutable evidence’ City have already defended their position in one case after overturning a two-year ban from the Champions League by UEFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2020. CAS found most of the alleged breaches of overstating sponsorship revenue were either not established or “time-barred” because they fell outside the five-year statutory limit for prosecution.

No so such time limitation clause exists in the Premier League case, although City remain confident of avoiding sanctions. “I know what people are looking for, I know what they are expecting. I know it because I have read it for many years but I’ve said everyone is innocent until guilt is proven. So we will see,” City manager Pep Guardiola said last week.