When will Manchester City know if they will be sanctioned?

A points deduction, a fine or even expulsion from the Premier League. There are several different types of sanctions that an independent commission could hand down to Manchester City after they were charged of breaching 115 financial rules by the Premier League. However, it appears as if there is a very long way to go before the case will be resolved. And no matter what conclusion the aforementioned commission reaches, both the Citizens and the Premier League will then have the opportunity to appeal the decision made. In the most optimistic of cases, according to journalist Bruno Alemany of Spanish radio show El Larguero, the case could be over in 18 months, although there is a good chance that it could drag on for some time longer.

Manchester City’s “incredibly complex” case

British newspaper The Times spoke to Nick De Marco KC and Stefan Borson, two renowned sports lawyers who have been involved in other court proceedings that have taken place in English soccer. De Marco, who represented former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, and Borson, who served as financial adviser to City, both agreed that “the number of charges that Manchester City is facing and the time period they cover makes the case incredibly complex.” In other words, it could take between two and four years for the case to reach its conclusion. “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it takes more than two years”, Borson told The Times.

Now the CEO of insurance claims processor Watchstone Group, he acknowledges that “it is unlikely that the club will be able to appeal to the English courts due to the Premier League’s regulations”, but also believes that “it will be very difficult for the Premier League to demonstrate the seriousness of the facts.” De Marco, meanwhile, cited as previous examples the cases of Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday, who were charged for their conduct over a period of two years; the final outcome in those cases took a year-and-a-half to be reached.

The Derby Country precedent

Derby, then coached by current DC United boss Wayne Rooney, were relegated to League One from the Championship last season but would have avoided the drop if it were not for a 21-point deduction which was handed down to them by the English Football League (EFL). Their failure to comply with profitability and sustainability between 2016 and 2018 led to the points deduction being applied for the 2021/2022 season. In a statement issued by The Rams at the start of last season, they said “the club received a reprimand regarding its future conduct and has been ordered to submit to the EFL the revised and restated accounts corresponding to the years ending June 30 2016, June 30 2017, and June 30 2018 before Wednesday, August 18, 2021.” Derby were therefore punished for financial irregularities committed more than three years earlier.

Although their case is very different from the one currently casting a shadow over Manchester City, it does shed some light about the timeline of any potential future sanctions. Pep Guardiola’s men appear unlikely to be affected by it in 2022-23 but the issue could rear its head again in future seasons.