Despite their great recent success, a big question still lingers regarding Manchester City’s past. On 6 February 2023, the Premier League announced that it was charging the club with breaches of the league’s financial fair-play rules, following a four-year investigation.
According to the institution in an official statement, there was, in total, 115 breaches of rules in the period investigated: from 2008 (when the club was purchased) until 2018, a period in which City won seven titles, including three editions of the English Championship. The club vehemently denied the allegations.
BREAKING: Man City charged by Premier Leaue with numerous breaches of financial rules following a four-year investigation.
This is unprecedented: pic.twitter.com/ZGzdX210qP— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) February 6, 2023
About a year and three months later, nothing further has been released by the league regarding the accusations, which raises questions from both rival fans and the media.
The main issues discussed since then are the punishments suffered by Everton and Nottingham Forest – two other clubs investigated by the Premier League – for breaking financial rules. Unlike City, both teams were quickly punished, suffering from the loss of points in the English Championship table – Everton lost eight points, while Forest just four.
Possible punishments for Manchester City have also become controversial subjects, given that the City Group – owner of several clubs around the world, including the English team – is majority owned by Abu Dhabi United Groupwhose owner is Sheikh Mansour, member of the Abu Dhabi royal family and vice president of the United Arab Emirates.
According to the American newspaper The Athletic: “The UK government admitted that its embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (a government department equivalent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brazil) in London discussed the 115 accusations made against Manchester City by the Premier League, but refused to disclose the correspondence because it could affect the United Kingdom’s relationship with the United Arab Emirates.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters confirmed in January that a hearing to address the allegations has already been set, adding that it will take place in the “near future”. According to the English press, the trial is scheduled to take place next British autumn (between September and November 2024), with the expectation of a major legal dispute that would only end around the middle of 2025.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
