Stefan Borson: This is when Man City’s 115 charges verdict could drop
Manchester City are continuing to wait for the verdict in their 115 charges case following months of deliberation from the panel.
Man City were dealt the charges by the Premier League in February 2023 for allegedly breaching the financial fair play (FFP) rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.
Pep Guardiola’s side are alleged to have concealed payments through third parties by disguising them as sponsorship revenue.
An independent commission hearing started in September last year and ended in December, with the panel still considering its verdict.
There has so far been little information provided about when the decision could be revealed, leading to concerns among Premier League clubs about how long the case could drag on.
Man City’s 115 charges verdict could be delivered within days
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider the verdict could be delivered in the current international break or the next one in November.
It’s now been more than two-and-a-half years since the charges were initially handed out.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson said: “Everybody expects the most likely window is now, and particularly if it could be within an international break, I think that’s really a combination of the sort of practicality of it coming in the international break, either this one or the next one.
“But moreover, just the fact that the panel has had 10 months to write up its decision. While it could easily be more in sort of the court system, this is not an arbitration, it’s a disciplinary, but it’s a privately paid for panel, you would think that they should be able to do that in this timescale.
“You would think that the terms of engagement that they have would make sure that they did deliver a timely judgment. Now, it’s possible that it wasn’t properly thought through by the parties such that they sort of set proper deadlines. That’s possible.”
Borson previously told Football Insider Man City are spending around £25million in their 115 charges case, with the Premier League’s legal bill expected to be in a similar ballpark.
Independent panel told to deliver Man City verdict immediately
There has been plenty of speculation around why the panel has taken so long to deliver its verdict.
“It’s possible of course that certain members of the panel have other obligations and were not fully available to produce the decision quickly,” said Borson.
“But as I say, I think 10 months is enough now, and whatever the decision, there’s little justification for it stretching on further.
“I think that’s why people are expecting it, just simply because of the passage of time as opposed to it meaning anything about which way it’s gone.”
Elsewhere, Man City have reached a settlement with the Premier League in their associated party transactions (APT) battle following their dispute around the regulations.
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