Man City FFP: What are the 115 charges and when will they be punished?

Man City were hit with 115 charges of breaching Premier League regulations related to financial irregularities in February 2023.

The charges relate to the period between 2009 and 2018, a period in which Man City won three Premier League titles.

What are the 115 charges against Man City?

There are 35 charges of failing to comply with Premier League investigations between December 2018 and February 2023, at which point those 35 charges were added to the 80 for financial breaches.

The remaining 80 can be broken down as follows:

• 54 charges of failing to provide accurate financial information 2009-10 to 2017-18.
• 14 charges of failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments from 2009-10 to 2017-18.
• 5 charges of failing to comply with UEFA’s rules including Financial Fair Play (FFP) 2013-14 to 2017-18.
• 7 charges of breaching Premier League’s PSR rules 2015-16 to 2017-18.

What are the 115 Man City charges actually for?

A 2018 article in German news magazine Der Spiegel alleged that Man City had falsified the amount of revenue coming into the club from sponsorship deals.

Manchester City are now involved in a legal case against the Premier League as they are campaigning for the removal of Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules with the Citizens insisting the rules aren’t lawful and are as a result of other clubs attempting to stifle their progress.

Der Spiegel also claim that they gave more money to then-manager Roberto Mancini than was recorded in their books, paying him to act as a consultant for a club in Abu Dhabi. It is also said that several players were paid more than was in their club accounts during the period of 2010 to 2016, prior to the arrival of Pep Guardiola.

There are several high-profile figures implicated in this alleged wrongdoing, including director Simon Pearce, chief executive Ferran Soriano, chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak and owner Sheikh Mansour, along with new Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada.

When will Man City be given a verdict on the 115 charges?

There have been reports that a hearing date is set for later in 2024, but any verdict is unlikely to be reached until 2025 at the earliest.

This is clearly a very complex case and Man City have already been hit with 35 charges of failing to comply, which would suggest that they will try to further delay the proceedings.

Why were Nottingham Forest and Everton punished so quickly?

Because neither Nottingham Forest nor Everton denied a breach of PSR; they merely put forward evidence to mitigate their breaches. So that was relatively straightforward. Manchester City have not complied with the investigation, meaning there are now 115 charges to contest. That inevitably takes time.

Premier League chief Richard Masters explained in simple terms: “I can [understand] but they are very different charges. If any club, the current champions or otherwise, had been found in breach of the spending rules, they would be in exactly the same position as Everton or Nottingham Forest.

“But the volume and character of the charges laid before Manchester City, which I obviously cannot talk about at all, are being heard in a completely different environment.

“There is a date set for that proceeding. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you when that is but it is progressing.”

What will the punishments be if Man City are found guilty?

The disciplinary commission hearing the case has limitless powers, which has led to speculation that they could be relegated or face expulsion from the Premier League.

Alternatives could be a massive points deduction imposed at the start of a specific Premier League season, a hefty fine, or both.