The decision of the independent commission on Manchester City’s 115 charges will not be announced before the spring, Sky Sports News understood.
City’s hearing into the 115 allegations, which the Premier League hopes can be resolved quickly, resumed in mid-September after initially starting in November.
The schedule, however, could be put on hold as it is a legal process, regardless of whether it affects the Premier League or City.
It is expected that a formal hearing with the independent commission will take around 10 weeks, with the Premier League and City making lengthy legal representations outlining their case.
An independent commission will then go and consider all the evidence, and consider its decision. The process will take several months due to the volume of fees and the amount of information that will be reviewed.
Therefore, it may be March – or later – before the commission’s decision is made public. As soon as a conclusion is reached, it will be published.
In fact, if the commission decides that City is guilty of some, or all of the charges against them, the club will likely appeal the decision, which will further delay the imposition of sanctions or point deductions.
The end of the process could take place in 2025, but it is hoped that all parties will resolve the matter in the next calendar year.
Meanwhile, a source said Sky Sports News that City’s separate legal dispute with the Premier League is unrelated to the 115 allegations.
The two cases are described as separate procedures.
The June arbitration was brought by the club against the Premier League’s party transaction rules.
PL Master Chairman: There is no satisfactory alternative to implementing these rules
Chief executive of the Premier League Richard Masters accepted the legal case facing the Premier League champions and others was creating “uncertainty and frustration” going into the new season, but said: “There is no satisfactory alternative to enforcing the rules.”
There are also exceptional cases involved Leicester and Everton in relation to allegations of breaches of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), while the league is also understood to be investigating. Chelsea through possible violations of the rules that occurred in the former owner Roman Abramovich.
Asked about the importance of all of this and whether it’s a big deal for the league, Masters said Sky Sports News: “It doesn’t matter, and I understand that it creates uncertainty and frustration, but there is no pleasant alternative to implementing the rules, which everyone has agreed on at the beginning of the season.
“They’ve looked each other in the eye and shook hands and said ‘we’ll stick to the rules’. So the Premier League has to stick to the rules.
“Any difficulty or frustration that creates is part of maintaining and protecting the Premier League’s competition, its core values, competitive competition. And that’s really my role, and I want to continue to do that.”
City have won two league titles since the allegations, which they vehemently denied, were made in February last year.
“I think it needs to be resolved,” Masters said, as he again declined to be drawn on the time scale involved in the case.
“It’s not in our hands. It’s in the hands of the independent panel. They’re in charge of the timing and the process, and we have to work on it.”
City’s alleged breaches relate to rules requiring accurate financial reporting, submission of manager and player payment details in relevant contracts, clubs’ responsibility as Premier League members to comply with UEFA’s financial regulations and the league’s own profits. sustainability regulations.
The club has also been accused of breaching rules requiring it to cooperate and assist the Premier League’s investigation into the breach, which the league said began in December 2018.
Everton and Nottingham Forest were docked points for PSR offenses last season, and the rule remains in place for the upcoming campaign, requiring clubs to limit losses to a maximum of £105m over three seasons.
Masters said the League would continue to implement “reasonable and proportionate” PSRs.
“I cannot speculate (whether there will be any costs associated with the 2023-24 PSR assessment period).
“You can only judge if you’ve checked the account and the process doesn’t start until the end of the year.”