The so-called ‘sports trial of the century’ by the media began this Monday: it is the trial against Manchester City, accused of total 115 charges for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules in the period between 2009 and 2018. There is no sentence until 2025 and, if City are found guilty, the punishment could range from exclusion from the Premier or deduction of points to a ban in the economy (which many experts bet).
The trial, which is being held at the International Dispute Resolution Center in London, just a two-minute walk from Saint Paul’s Cathedral, is surrounded by secrecy.
After an investigation that lasted 4 years, the City was sent to an independent commission in February 2023. It is estimated that the trial initially could last about 10 weeks, but there will be no sentence until 2025. This is an unprecedented process due to the number of offenses for which the Etihad club will be convicted.
Here’s a breakdown of the 115 offenses Manchester City are accused of:
54
54 of these charges were due to the City’s failure to provide adequate financial information for the period 2009-10 to 2017-18.
14
Of these charges, 14 were for failing to provide detailed payment information to players and coaches in the period between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
5
For non-compliance with UEFA regulations, including Financial Fair Play (FPF) in the period between 2013-14 and 2017-18.
7
For breach of financial sustainability norms between 2015-16 and 2017-18.
35
For not co-operating with the Premier’s investigations between December 2018 and February 2023.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
