Man City have 'the best barrister in Britain' leading their appeal
Manchester City's lawyer in their case against the Premier League, Lord David Pannick KC, is considered the best barrister in the country.
That is according to experienced former Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
It was reported last week that the Citizens had been found guilty in 114 of the 115 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules brought against them in February 2023.
Man City have since publicly reinstated their innocence, and likely intend to exhaust all possible routes of appeal.
Pannick represented the Premier League club in court alongside Paul Harris KC and Philip Marshall KC, specialists in sports law.
The renowned silk was also on the team that helped fight the two-year ban from European competition handed down by Uefa in 2020, with the Court of Arbitration for Sports eventually overturning it on appeal.
Man City 'case is not over'
The Premier League has kept tight-lipped over the outcome of the independent commission's findings, but they will be expected to speak once the official verdict emerges.
This case could still dominate courtrooms far beyond when that happens, however, with appeals and claims set to rage on.
"Lord David Pannick KC is leading the case. Everybody in that circle reckons, that he's the best KC, barrister, in Great Britain," King told Football Insider.
"People have said that he wouldn't have took this case on knowing that they were going to lose. And this case is not over, by the way. Let's be fair. It is not over.
"There's going to be appeals. This is what's been going on for the last three years. In September 26, they've come up with 114 guilty charges and one not guilty charge.
"Now, personally, I'd like to see the breakdown on the guilty charges, and I'd certainly like to see the one that they got away with. These charges and the sentencing, it won't happen this year, that's for sure."
Man City fight continues
Should Man City ultimately fail in their fight, they will be vulnerable to all manner of punishments.
Until that day, however, they will continue to fight for their innocence. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak responded to reports of the guilty verdict in a statement on Friday.
"The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began," he said.
"There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position.
"But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies."