Manchester City will face an independent panel relating to 115 alleged breaches of financial regulations late next year, according to reports. The scheduled date means that Pep Guardiola and co will avoid a points deduction this season, denying Arsenal and Liverpool a boost on their quest for the Premier League title.
City stand accused of breaching Premier League rules on more than 100 occasions following an investigation which opened in 2018. If found guilty, authorities will be under pressure to dish out a severe penalty after Everton were docked 10 points for breaching profit and sustainability rules earlier this season.
According to The Daily Mail, City and the Premier League have provisionally agreed to face an independent panel in late Autumn next year, with the verdict expected to be handed down in the summer of 2025.
That means that unless any punishment imposed is retrospective, it won’t affect the outcome of the 2023/24 season, nor the title race currently being contested by City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
It also suggests that Guardiola may not be around to face any possible consequences, with his Sky Blues contract due to expire around the same time as the anticipated verdict.
And whoever steps in to replace the former Barcelona boss may be set for a nervous wait, with the possibility of delays and appeals threatening to push the date back even further.
City are charged with breaching Premier League regulations for over a decade, starting from the 2009/10 season. The club deny any wrongdoing.
Arsenal were pipped to last season’s league title, but they lead the way this campaign with 30 points from a possible 39. City and Liverpool are following closely, while Tottenham, who made the early running, have fallen away due to a spate of frustrating injury issues.
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