This is the top-secret location of Manchester City’s ‘test of the century’ that could see them relegated from the Premier League.
City’s trial on 115 charges of alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules begins today at a secret location in central London.
The independent hearing is expected to last about 10 weeks and the city strongly denies all charges; a verdict is reportedly not expected until spring 2025.
Fifty-four of the charges relate to City’s alleged failure to provide accurate financial information about the club’s revenue.
And Mail Sport can reveal his trial will take place at the International Centre for Dispute Resolution in London, just two minutes walk from St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Manchester City trial is taking place at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in central London.
It’s an expensive day out – you have to pay £13.95 if you want a sandwich there and £35 for a buffet meal.
Manchester City face 115 charges for breaches of Financial Fair Play rules and regulations
Manchester City’s lead lawyer for the trial is Lord Pannick
The grandly named centre is an expensive excursion. It will cost you £13.95 to buy a sandwich there, while “soft drinks” cost £11.95.
Buffet food, whether hot or cold, will set your wallet back around £35.
Prices to book the building’s main room start at £1,125 per day and can go up to £4,845.
All of the charges facing Manchester City are serious and if found to have breached all or any of them, serious repercussions should be expected.
The charges against the club will be investigated, reviewed and analysed by an independent commission.
Of the 115 charges, City faces 54 allegations of failing to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information to the league from 2009-10 to 2017-18.
This gives FFP a “true and fair” view of a club’s revenues, which include sponsorship deals, and its operating costs, which involve player salaries.
All Premier League clubs adhere to a compliance code, which basically means clubs agree to behave appropriately and provide the league with accurate and up-to-date accounts which are expected to be audited each year.
In recent years, City have been accused of inflating the value of their sponsorships linked to their owners.
| 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 | ” ” | ” ” |
They also face 14 charges of failing to provide accurate financial reports on player and manager compensation during those seasons.
The Manchester team also face 35 charges for failing to comply with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to the present.
It has been almost six years since German outlet Der Spiegel published the first of its accusations based on documents it obtained through Football Leaks.
They have already been investigated for their dealings from 2019 to 2023, where they were forced to pay a fine of £8.6m over the findings.
We will continue to report more.