September 14, (THEWILL) – The long-awaited hearing into Manchester City’s alleged breaches of English Premier League financial rules is set to begin on Monday. The English champions face 115 charges related to financial regulations, brought by the EPL in February last year.
City manager, Pep Guardiola, claims other EPL clubs want to see his team punished: “That the Premier League teams want us to be sanctioned, that is for sure.” However, Guardiola emphasised the importance of waiting for the independent panel’s decision, saying, “We believe that we have not done anything wrong.”
The charges against City include 80 breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018, plus 35 instances of failing to cooperate with a League investigation. The club is accused of not providing accurate financial information, including details about revenue from sponsors and salaries of managers and players.
If found guilty, City could face severe penalties, including a significant points deduction or even expulsion from the top flight. The club has consistently denied any wrongdoing since the takeover by Sheikh Mansour, a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family, in 2008.
Since then, the Etihad outfit has dominated English football, winning eight of the last 13 EPL titles. This includes a record four consecutive league championships in the past four seasons, highlighting their on-field success during the period under investigation.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
