Manchester City are gearing up to learn their fate following the accusation of their breaching 115 FFP profitability and sustainability rules levelled against them by the Premier League.
The Premier League champions have been battling these accusations for a while now but the issue is now set to be taken before a court of competent jurisdiction, which will officially bring the matter to a close.
A hearing date has been set for the court’s first sitting. This will happen in early September and will take place for 10 weeks, after which a verdict will be given in January 2025.
Several punishments could be meted out on the Premier League champions including relegation from the Premier League at the end of the season regardless of how many points they get, stripping of thir domestic titles won in the period under consideration, points deductions and a huge fine.
You will recall that a similar case was fought and won by City against UEFA, who wanted to ban them from European competitions for similar breaches. They have started laying the groundwork for their court battle with the Premier League but there is no indication that they will have a smooth victory like they did against the Aleksander Čeferin-led UEFA.
City currently have a case against the Premier League’s associated party transaction rules, the outcome of which will be revealed within the next fortnight. The outcome of this lawsuit will mark the beginning of the hearing into City’s 115 charges.
The Times, who broke this news, believes that City have achieved some success with the arbitration. It doesn’t imply that they will find success in the bigger case, however.
On the pitch, Man City are focusing on their first Premier League match of the season which will be against Chelsea. They look to have completed all their transfer business for the month, having allowed Julian Álvarez leave for Atlético de Madrid and signed only Brazilian winger Savio. MEN reports that they could still complete a few more deals before the window ends in a few weeks.
One of the deals is another midfielder to provide cover for Rodri. They look to be done with Kalvin Phillips but there is no news about what they intend to do with the player.
João Cancelo is also seeking an exit, with his preference being to return to Barcelona on loan again as he has three years left on his City contract. The club could also enter the market to find a replacement for Álvarez.
