Man City to be ‘found guilty on quite a lot of accounts’ with ‘transfer ban’ on the way
Man City are set to be “found guilty on quite a lot of accounts” with the Citizens set for a “transfer ban for minimum one or two windows”, according to a journalist.
An independent commission hearing to examine 115 charges laid by the Premier League against Man City started in September and ended in December.
The Premier League opened an investigation into Man City way back in 2018 and after a number of legal delays, charges were finally laid in February 2023 and the club were referred to an independent commission.
The charges against the Citizens relate to the requirement to accurately report financial information, including around the value of sponsorship deals, the submission of details of manager and player pay information and to a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s financial regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
They are also accused of failing to co-operate with the league’s investigation. In all, there are charges relating to every season between 2009-10 and 2022-23.
Man City, who lost to Real Madrid on Wednesday night, issued a statement strenuously denying the allegations on the day the charges were brought, saying they they welcomed the opportunity for an independent commission “to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of our position.”
The club added: “As such, we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”
An official verdict has yet to come back but Football Insider journalist Connor Humm is “sure they’ve been found guilty on quite a lot of accounts” and face an imminent “transfer ban”.
Humm told Football Insider: “Man City spent big in January because they had to go big in January.
“They don’t know what’s going to happen with those charges, which are going to come out within the next couple of months or even sooner than that.
“I’m pretty sure they’ve been found guilty on quite a lot of accounts – but not all of them.
“Again, we’ll find out officially soon. They’re more than likely looking at a transfer ban for minimum one or two windows.”
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However, former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson insists that the Citizens’ sponsor Etihad Airways’ intention to float a stake of up to 20 per cent on the Abu Dhabi stock exchange, as reported by The Times earlier this month, shows confidence that the Premier League club will be found not guilty of any serious breaches.
Borson told Football Insider: “It’s not a strong signal, but I think it is a soft signal of confidence.
“I find it hard to believe that Etihad would want to be embroiled in something with City that went against them at the same time as an IPO.
“I think that would look very bad and we don’t know what the City decision might say about Etihad and their involvement in City.
“Furthermore, there is going to have to be quite a lot of disclosure around their key marketing partners, their key expenditure, their risks and the historic financials. You can’t shy away from it.
“The CEO has done two pieces that I’ve seen in the UK. I haven’t actually seen him do many pieces outside of the UK, which is interesting in itself.
“Both of those asked him about the value that the company gets from the relationship with City and he was very effusive about the value that the company gets, the rates that they pay and the fair market value. You might say ‘So what? Of course, he’s going to say that’, which is fair, except he doesn’t have to do any interviews right now.
“These are planned financial PR exercises. It’s part of a process and a setup meeting in advance of a corporate activity. I do think you can probably read something into it.
“We will have to see the extent of it, but it seems to me another indicator of confidence from those parties related to the case. Etihad are related to this case, like it or not. The allegation is that Etihad have been involved, effectively in this Manchester City conspiracy to put money into the club.
“That was how City framed it themselves in the Uefa CAS case and we think that this one is very similar. I think it’s an interesting development, but I wouldn’t put too much on it.
“Because it’s a local IPO in Abu Dhabi, they will have to publish a prospectus, they will have to quarterly report and we will see that prospectus quite soon if they are going to imminently IPO, so some of these questions will be answered.”