Man City handed new 115 charges verdict as 'very severe penalty' claim made

The chairman of Manchester City maintained a smile as he reiterated his intention to discuss the Premier League charges the club faces after the verdict is reached, although, unusually for him, he remains as in the dark as everyone else.

The timing of the decision's announcement is uncertain, casting a shadow of anticipation across the football sphere as the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham watch on with interest.

The gravity of the situation has cemented this as one of the most significant news stories in football, fuelling widespread demand for closure. Even years after the initial allegations, conversation about City's predicament continues unabated within football circles.

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The topic resurfaced on Gary Neville's 'The Overlap', His sentiments echo a common thread of exasperation over the lingering uncertainty - stoking further interest were the comments from Kieran Maguire, a football finance expert.

When quizzed about the potential outcomes, Maguire delved into the complexity facing the Premier League in proving the three primary charges against City, suggesting that at least one charge could likely lead to punishment, reports .

"In terms of the effective accusation of fraud against Manchester City, taking money from the club owners and disguising that as sponsorship revenue, Manchester City have to be party to the guilt of that, the sponsors have to be party to the guilt of that, and the auditors have to be incompetent or in on it - and they won't be in on it," he explained.

"If that is proven, there will be a very severe penalty and the board of directors of Manchester City would have to follow the same route as Juventus and resign.

"The other issue is non-cooperation with the Premier League. I think that City will quite happily say they haven't co-operated. If they get found guilty of that, there will be a penalty in terms of a fine because it's a fiscal issue.

"The third issue [is] of paying managers and players off-book. It's more complicated but more likely to be found guilty in terms of the burden of proof because the auditors wouldn't be involved because it's a private arrangement.

"Roberto Mancini was accused but didn't attend the hearing because he's under no obligation to do so, so where's the proof? It's really difficult."

A hearing spanning over three months at the tail end of 2024 was conducted to examine all the evidence presented by both parties. Despite repeated assurances that a verdict would be delivered, it remains pending.

The delay, albeit frustrating for all, is due to the sheer volume of evidence that the independent three-man panel had to sift through, ensuring a verdict that is deemed justifiable.

"It took 14 weeks to hear all of the evidence. I believe there were half a million pieces of written evidence submitted by both parties," Maguire revealed.

"That means that the commission has an awful lot. They have to get the decision right, but we stopped the hearing in the second week in December.

"We're six months later in to the case and nothing has come out of it. It's frustrating."