The eagerly awaited hearing over Manchester City‘s 115 alleged violations of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations is about to start.
The allegations have cast a shadow over City’s remarkable success in the Premier League and Champions League for many years.
With The Times revealing that the hearing would start in mid-to-late September—roughly two months sooner than anticipated—the issue now appears to be fully addressed.
The reason for the date change is that the result of City’s separate case against the Premier League will be made public within the next two weeks. After that is resolved, the hearing regarding the alleged violations can start.
Shortly after winning the league title for the fourth time in a row, the Citizens filed a lawsuit against the top flight in an effort to overturn the Associated Party Transaction (APT) regulations.
They believe the rules, introduced in 2021, to be unlawful and discriminatory, and it is said that Manchester City have ‘achieved some successes in the arbitration hearing’.
But if fans and other clubs were hoping for a swift conclusion to the FFP saga they’re in for a nasty shock, as this hearing is scheduled to take around 10 weeks, pending any further legal delays.
Manchester City’s 115 alleged breaches explained
54 alleged breaches for failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009-10 to, and including, 2017-18.
14 alleged breaches for failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation from 2009-10 to, and including, 2017-18.
5 alleged breaches for failure to comply with UEFA’s regulations, including UEFA’s Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.
7 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations from 2015-16 to, and including, 2017-18.
35 alleged breaches for failure to cooperate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to present.
Members of the independent commission are therefore expected to deliver their verdict at the start of 2025.
If found guilty, the club could face a points deduction or even relegation if the most serious charges are proved.
Last season, Everton and Nottingham Forest were deducted eight and four points respectively for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
City have always denied any wrongdoing.