According to reports, the Premier League is ‘facing a crushing blow’ with the verdict of Manchester City’s FFP case due to be announced.
At the start of 2023, Man City were referred to an independent commission after being accused of breaching over 100 of the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play regulations.
The Premier League conducted a four-year probe into Man City’s dealings between 2009 and 2018 before referring the club to an independent commission.
Pep Guardiola‘s side have bulishly denied any wrongdoing and launched a separate case against the Premier League last year to campaign for Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules to be removed.
The Cityzens were eventually successful as APT regulations were deemed unlawful, but it remains to be seen whether this will impact their FFP situation.
The Man City vs Premier League FFP hearing concluded at the end of 2024, and the two parties are awaiting a verdict, which will be subject to an appeal from either side.
Man City have insisted on their innocence, but they could be given a huge fine, transfer ban, points deduction or expulsion from the Premier League if they are found guilty.
The Premier League holders have looked to go about their business as normal and made statements by extending Guardiola’s and Erling Haaland’s contracts. They were also comfortably the biggest spenders in Europe in January.
A recent report revealed the ‘staggering’ figure paid out by Man City to clear their name, while Football Insider claims the Premier League’s ‘hefty legal bill’ is a ‘crushing blow’.
The report explains:
‘Manchester City’s ongoing 115 charges case is likely to take the Premier League’s legal fees beyond £100million for this season, sources have told Football Insider.
‘The Premier League’s accounts for 2023-24 have revealed its administrative expenses increased from £123.7million in 2022-23 to £200.2million last season.
‘Sources say up to £100million of those expenses are likely to have been legal fees following the Premier League’s efforts to enforce its FFP rules.’
The report has also provided an update on when the initial FFP verdict should be announced.
‘The verdict in Man City’s 115 charges case is likely to be delivered within the next few weeks.
‘The English champions are expected to appeal against any potential punishment if they are found guilty of any of the charges, while the Premier League could also challenge the decision depending on the outcome.
‘Premier League clubs could land a funding blow as a result of heavy legal expenses, with the money potentially coming out of the distribution pot for next season and beyond.’