- Manchester City’s first day of hearing ends on 115 counts of breaching financial rules
- The proceedings are expected to last 10 weeks and the verdict will be known in 2025.
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The first day of football’s ‘Test of the Century’ has concluded at a secret location in the heart of London.
Lawyers representing Manchester City and the Premier League declined to comment on the proceedings as they left this afternoon.
The top-flight club is facing relegation from the Premier League due to 115 charges against it for allegedly breaching the financial rules of the English football body.
Kings’ lawyer Lord Pannick, who represents Manchester City, declined to comment as he left the hearing.
And Adam Lewis KC, who plays for the Premier League, also remained silent.
Manchester City lawyer Lord David Pannick was seen leaving the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London on Monday
Lawyers for both the football club and the Premier League have refused to give details on the first day of proceedings in City’s trial over 115 breaches of financial rules.
The Manchester City trial is taking place at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in central London.
Lewis has previously acted for the football organisation, working as the league’s lawyer during its legal dispute with Everton over the Merseyside club’s failure to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
The independent hearing is expected to last ten weeks and a verdict is not expected until spring next year.
Lord Pannick, 68, has previously acted as Manchester City’s lawyer. In 2020, he helped the club overturn a two-year ban from European competition.
The case is being heard privately at the International Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC), located on a quiet street near St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
The largest room at IDRC costs £4,845 to hire for a single day, while overtime can cost around £300 per hour. The building has around 70 rooms from which those wishing to resolve disputes can choose.
The trial is expected to last around 10 weeks and costs for use of the building could amount to around £250,000.
If the Premier League wins its case against City, the club could face relegation from the English top flight or a huge points deduction.
Of the charges brought against the football club, 54 of them relate to alleged failures to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009-10 to 2017-18.
The football club faces relegation from the Premier League or a huge points deduction over 115 charges relating to the league’s financial rules.
Lord Pannick (right) has previously advised City on disputes over financial breaches with UEFA.
| Type of infringement | Number of charges related to non-compliance | Trial start date | Date of decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009-10 to 2017-18 | 54 | Monday, September 16, 2024 | Spring or summer 2025 |
| Accurate financial reports on player and management remuneration were not provided from 2009-10 to 2017-18 | 14 | ” ” | ” ” |
| Non-compliance with UEFA regulations, including Club and Licensing regulations and Financial Fair Play | 5 | ” ” | ” ” |
| Failure to comply with Premier League profitability and sustainability rules from the 2015-16 season up to and including the 2017-18 season | 7 | ” ” | ” ” |
| Lack of cooperation with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to the present | 35 | ” ” | ” ” |
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has been central to the case.
The Premier League side, who have won eight league titles since 2012, also face 14 charges of failing to provide accurate reports in relation to compensation paid to players and coaches over the same period.
The start of the trial comes almost six years after German media outlet Der Speigel published several articles accusing City of wrongdoing based on documents obtained from Football Leaks.
On Sunday, Mail Sport exclusively reported that the club had told the stars they had “nothing to worry about” in relation to the club’s trial over financial breaches.
Defender Aymeric Laporte told this newspaper: “When I was there and the news broke, the sporting director (Txiki Begiristain) and the CEO (Ferran Soriano) came and told all the players and staff that we can all be very calm because Man City have not broken any rules.”
Manchester City face 115 charges for breaches of Financial Fair Play rules and regulations
“We were told everything was fine, so we all think City will be fine. I don’t think there will be any problems.
‘As Pep Guardiola always says, if something has been done wrong, they will have to pay for it.’