Manchester City on trial for financial breaches: 115 separate allegations of misconduct

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

In a case described by the British media as the 'sports trial of the century,' the English football club Manchester City will be tried for allegedly breaching 115 separate financial rules.

City, which has won the English championship four times in a row, was referred to an independent commission in February 2023 for allegedly breaking various financial rules during the period spanning from 2009 to 2018.

Manchester City denies all charges.

If City is found guilty of some or all of these charges, it could face heavy fines, points deductions, or even the relegation of the English giant from the Premier League.

Since its acquisition by Sheikh Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, Manchester City has won eight Premier League titles, one Champions League, three FA Cups, six League Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup.

GUARDIOLA: 'I AM NOT A LAWYER'

Manager Pep Guardiola, who has been in charge of the team since 2016, stated that City is innocent until proven guilty.

Guardiola said:

'(The trial) is going to start soon and hopefully it will finish soon. An independent commission will decide and I am looking forward to the decision. We will see. I know what people are looking forward to, what they expect, I know, I have been reading it for many years. I am not a lawyer. (The team's striker) Erling (Haaland) is not a lawyer. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.'

The charges City faces include failing to provide accurate financial information to the relevant authorities, failing to provide full disclosure regarding player and manager remuneration, breaching Premier League and UEFA financial fair play regulations, and failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations.

THE ENGLISH GIANT HAS BEEN TRIED FOR FINANCIAL REASONS BEFORE

This is not the first time City has been in the dock for alleged financial breaches.

In 2020, the club was banned from the Champions League for two years by UEFA for allegedly inflating sponsorship revenues between 2012 and 2016. However, City appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and succeeded in having the decision overturned.

When the Premier League referred the case to an independent judicial commission, City stated that it was surprised by the 'publication of these alleged breaches.'

Whatever the decision, either party can appeal, and the judicial process could extend until the beginning of the summer of 2025.