Man City 115 charges case: “Most incredible delay” highlighted two years on from ‘trial of the century’ hearing

By Oliver Thomas | 17 Sep 2026 08:40, Last updated: 17 Sep 2026 08:46

Frustrations proceed to turn arsenic Manchester City await the result of the proceeding into their alleged Premier League fiscal rules breaches.

The Citizens were charged by the Premier League successful February 2023 with breaking fiscal rules betwixt 2009 and 2018 pursuing a four-year investigation.

Man City are alleged to person failed to supply close fiscal accusation relating to sponsorship income, gross and operating costs, arsenic good arsenic afloat details of players' wages implicit a six-season play and the net of erstwhile manager Roberto Mancini during his clip astatine the club.

The eight-time Premier League winners person besides been accused by England’s apical part of failing to comply with UEFA's Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules during a five-year play and are said to person not afloat co-operated with the Premier League's investigation.

From the precise beginning, Man City person emphatically denied the charges levelled against them.

Wednesday marked 2 years to the time since an autarkic committee proceeding began to analyse much than 100 charges laid against the Sky Blues.

That 12-week proceedings concluded successful December 2024 and the autarkic committee is yet to publically denote a verdict.

“Most unthinkable delay” highlighted successful reaching result successful Man City ineligible case

Leading sports barrister Nick De Marco has highlighted the "most unthinkable delay" successful reaching an result successful Man City’s high-profile ineligible lawsuit that has antecedently been dubbed ‘the proceedings of the century’.

A station connected societal media from De Marco read: "It is simply a astir unthinkable delay. So overmuch for those who reason that 1 of the advantages of sports arbitration is it is speedier and much businesslike than utilizing the courts..."

De Marco has worked connected respective high-profile shot cases, including connected behalf of Leicester City successful their quality with the Premier League implicit alleged regularisation breaches, but helium is not progressive successful Man City’s existent ineligible battle.

Lord David Pannick - different barrister astatine the aforesaid firm, Blackstone Chambers - has been hired to enactment for Man City to combat their ineligible case.

Current authorities of play connected Man City's ineligible conflict with Premier League

Last month, Premier League main enforcement Richard Masters admitted that a verdict connected Man City’s ineligible lawsuit "has taken longer than expected", but insisted that "there's thing further I tin add.”

"Our rules are precise wide astir that - I person to support everything confidential until we're acceptable to manus down a determination and beryllium wide astir it,” Masters added.

"I can't springiness immoderate update connected timing oregon what's happening. There's lone 1 disposable way done this, which is to let the process to instrumentality its course.”

The reasons down this lengthy hold successful announcing a verdict stay unknown, but we are present astatine a constituent wherever those progressive whitethorn suffer credibility portion respective fans person already begun to suffer involvement and trust.

Sharing his thoughts connected the hold past month, Arsenal chief enforcement Richard Garlick told BBC Sport: "It has gone connected for a while. Everybody - the league and the teams - would privation the clarity astir what's going to hap next.

"But it's not thing that I tin control. It's not thing that I tin speculate on, and I conscionable anticipation that determination is simply a solution precise quickly."

In the meantime, Man City volition proceed to run arsenic a business, and Enzo Maresca’s broadside volition guarantee that their absorption remains firmly connected footballing matters alternatively than off-field speculation.

The Citizens volition look Norwich City successful the EFL Cup 3rd circular connected Thursday earlier they effort to marque it 5 wins retired of 5 successful the Premier League erstwhile they play big to Sunderland connected Sunday.