Man City FFP: Citizens could turn to ‘political favours’ to squash 115 charges case
Man City and the Abu Dhabi government could call in “political favours” in order to end their financial fair play case, according to former Everton CEO Keith Wyness.
A hearing to examine 115 Premier League charges issued against the club began on September 16 with the Citizens’ legal team pictured arriving at the IDRC, close to St Paul’s Cathedral in central London.
The charges facing Man City, who won a fourth straight Premier League title in May, date back as far as the 2009-10 season.
It is thought the club, who are also accused of failing to co-operate with an investigation, could face a range of punishments including a severe points penalty or even expulsion from the Premier League if found guilty.
Man City were charged by the league in February 2023 after a long investigation into allegations published by German magazine Der Spiegel in autumn 2018.
The Premier League club deny any wrongdoing and have previously said they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to support their stance.
The hearing is reported to have been scheduled for 10 weeks, with the independent commission’s verdict initially not expected until the new year.
And now ex-Everton CEO Wyness has suggested that the Abu Dhabi government could “step in” and use political means to squash the case.
Wyness told Football Insider: “There’s no doubt that if Abu Dhabi stepped in then all these issues would be involved very quickly. The Premier League may say they’ve had no contact with the government, but we should be under no illusions that this is a big situation.
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“What was interesting in the new football bill from the government is the exclusion of lines around having to take decisions in the interest of Britain’s trade. It was interesting that this was dropped. The regulator won’t be tasked with that any longer.
“You’ve always got to wonder: When we’re dealing with sovereign states like Saudi Arabia or the UAE, do political implications get involved with football decisions? I’m a big proponent in keeping politics out of football, but it’s inextricably linked.
“I hope there is no leaning in any way at all on the Premier League with the punishments if City are found guilty. I think the government would love it if there were no penalties at all.
“But if you’re a government and you own a club like Man City, you’re going to try any sort of political move you can – and that includes calling in any political favours.
“So let’s wait and see how these develops. There are stories aplenty that could come out of this. If something doesn’t seem right in the end, it probably won’t be right. We’ll have to keep a close eye on this.”