13/9/2024
Manager of Premier League club Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has expressed delight over the commencement of the hearing into the club’s 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules beginning Monday, September 16, 2024.
In February 2023, Manchester City were charged and referred to an independent commission following a four-year investigation.
It was reported that the club breached the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018.
However, Man City vehemently denied all charges with convictions that their case is supported by a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence”.
“It starts soon and hopefully finishes soon. An independent panel will decide and I am looking forward to the decision,” Guardiola said.
“I’m happy it’s starting on Monday. I know there will be more rumours, new specialists about the sentences. We’re going to see. I know what people are looking forward to, what they expect, I know, what I read for many, many years. Everybody is innocent until guilt is proven. So, we’ll see,” he added.
The legal battle, which is expected to span a period of 10 weeks with a verdict likely to be delivered in early 2025, has been described as sport’s ‘trial of the century’.
Manchester City risk points deduction capable of relegating them or even being expulse from the Premier League if found guilty of the most serious charges.
This will dent the reputation of the club having won eight league titles, many trophies and the Champions League since Abu Dhabi United Group took over in 2008.
By: Maxwell Woyram Tsigbe