Man City: Ornstein reveals internal verdict on worst possible FFP punishment – ‘seismic moment soon’
Journalist David Ornstein has provided an update on Manchester City’s Financial Fair Play situation as they “look at a springtime verdict”.
At the start of 2023, Man City were charged with breaching over 100 of the Premier League’s FFP rules and referred to an independent commission. This followed a four-year probe into their conduct between 2009 and 2018.
The Premier League side have insisted on their innocence but would face severe consequences if they are found guilty. Their possible punishments include a huge fine, transfer ban, points deduction or expulsion to a lower division.
Pep Guardiola’s side recently won their Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules case against the Premier League, but it remains to be seen whether they will also be successful with their FFP hearing.
City’s FFP case concluded at the end of 2024 and Ornstein has revealed that we are “a month or two away” from hearing the verdict, which will be subject to an appeal from either side.
“It’s just over two years ago since those charges and the feeling I get from speaking to people at and around the club is that we could be looking at a springtime verdict,” Ornstein told NBC Sports.
“So, maybe a month or two away and that feels pretty soon. Of course this is still subject to potential appeals in that process too, but the verdict would feel like a seismic moment whatever the outcome.”
Man City were January’s biggest spender and moved into the top six of our Premier League net spend table, but Ornstein claims they were not “pre-empting a potential punishment”. He has also revealed their verdict on the worst possible sanction they could face.
“The important point to say from City’s perspective is that they are totally confident that they will be exonerated and prove their innocence, so they’re operating as usual,” Ornstein added.
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“We saw them do a lot of business in the January transfer window. None of that business, to my knowledge, was to pre-empt potential punishment because they don’t think they are going to be punished for these alleged breaches.
“In the contract negotiations they’ve been holding in recent years, the transfer talks that have taken place, no clauses have been inserted into those deals to say ‘if City are punished, this is going to happen’. Players want to join Manchester City and they are continuing with everything that they are doing.
“It had no impact on Pep Guardiola signing a new contract in autumn, on Erling Haaland in the story I broke in January, on [sporting director] Txiki Begiristain’s decision to leave the club as sporting director – that was long-planned, or Hugo Viana’s decision to replace him.
“Think that they are going to be fined, let’s see how it materialises.”