Man City punishment date set as important person shares thoughts on guilty verdict
The head of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has shared when Manchester City might find out what punishment they could face for breaking Premier League financial rules—if the majority of the charges against them are upheld on appeal.
An independent commission found City guilty of most of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League. They discovered that City used “sham” deals to boost their revenue and lower costs by making hidden funding arrangements worth up to £900 million with commercial partners between 2009 and 2018—a time when the club won three Premier League titles.
City could face a range of penalties, such as suspension from the league, losing points, replaying matches, being kicked out of the league, paying compensation to other clubs, automatic relegation, or even losing their titles.
The club has appealed the decision and say they have strong evidence to support their case. The appeal’s outcome is expected within 12 weeks.
IFR chief David Kogan told Times Radio that the Premier League wants to settle this matter quickly. If the verdict stays the same, City should hear about any punishments in early 2027.
Kogan said: “The Premier League wants this sorted within the season. It’s not really the Premier League itself but an independent commission made up of retired judges and lawyers that will hear the case. The process takes about 12 weeks, so the hearing should happen by mid to late January. We can’t make any judgment until everything is clear.
“City say they have strong evidence to win the appeal, but we won’t know for sure until early next year.”
Kogan also promised to step down if there’s any political interference in the process. This comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham was accused of defending City’s owners because of dinners he had with the club chairman in 2017 and 2018.
He added: “The prime minister can say whatever he wants, but we haven’t had any political interference in our decisions. We’ll base our judgment strictly on evidence after the appeal is heard by the independent commission. We’ll also have our own investigation powers, and that will guide our actions.”
Manchester City will play Ipswich Town at home in the Premier League on October 17, after their Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain.