Why Man City charges case could still drag on for years — SkimNews
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- Manchester City's 115 charges case is moving to the appeal stage after an independent tribunal reached decisions, with Friday's leak suggesting City were found guilty on 114 of the 115 Premier League financial fair play charges.
- City have been locked in financial-rules disputes for 12 years — paying a £49m UEFA fine in 2014 and receiving a two-year European ban and €30m fine in 2020 that was overturned at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
- If the Premier League appeal fails, City cannot go to CAS but could turn to the High Court; chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak told fans the club's 'confidence and intent in proving the club's innocence is just as strong as when this began.'
- The Premier League's evidence traces back to documents illegally obtained by convicted Portuguese hacker Rui Pinto, which City labels 'out-of-context materials purportedly hacked or stolen' used in an 'organised and clear attempt to damage the club's reputation.'
- A definitive guilty verdict could test UK-Abu Dhabi relations, with the article noting the two sides share 'close ties and common trade and diplomatic interests.'
- Former City manager Roberto Mancini, per BBC Sport's headline 'not my concern' framing, sidestepped the charges — an alumni perspective the dominant legal-procedural coverage largely overlooks.
Why it matters: City have demonstrated over 12 years a willingness to spend heavily on legal challenges rather than concede, meaning even an adverse ruling may not bring closure. A definitive guilty verdict would trigger 'serious sanctions' per the source and force a diplomatic reckoning with Abu Dhabi, whose state-owned vehicles sit behind the club.
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