Legal experts warn Man City's guilty verdict on 114 charges is just the start of a long appeal battle

Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 out of 115 financial charges brought by the Premier League, but two legal experts warn the verdict is the beginning of a new legal phase rather than a resolution — with any sanctions unlikely to arrive soon.

Ian Hargreaves, a partner at specialist disputes firm Quillon Law, said the ruling opens a wide range of possible outcomes. “The rumoured verdict is not the end of the story but the beginning of a new phase in what has become one of the most closely watched legal battles in global sport,” he said. “The key questions this news raises are what sanction the panel considers proportionate and what guidance can be drawn from previous cases. There is a wide range of options, with a transfer ban at the more moderate end of the spectrum and expulsion from the league the most severe repercussion.”

Hargreaves also flagged the appeal process as a significant variable. “There is also the question of whether the panel’s decision can withstand a hard-fought appeal, and on what grounds any challenge might be brought. Much will depend on the detail of the panel’s findings and reasoning, which will inevitably be closely scrutinised by both sides.”

He added that the outcome carries consequences beyond England: “The result will also have wider implications for the balance of power in European football, although Premier League clubs will point out that these findings relate to historic conduct and not the league’s current financial framework.”

Sports barrister Yasin Patel, of Church Court Chambers, confirmed that City’s legal team will now comb through the panel’s findings for grounds to challenge the decision. “City’s lawyers will now analyse this decision and look at the options open to them to appeal, which may include procedural impropriety, wrongful interpretation of law, and legal errors — importantly, they can guarantee an appeal,” he said.

Patel outlined the potential scale of any punishment. “Sanctions could include a major fine, points deduction, relegation or even all three. Factoring in whether titles and trophies should be stripped, whether other clubs have been robbed of further revenue and opportunities due to City’s wrongdoings and losses incurred, we safely say that this is only the first chapter of a long-running legal saga that will not end any time soon.”

Among the clubs most affected by the period under scrutiny are Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool — all of whom missed out on Premier League titles during the years in which City are alleged to have gained an unfair financial advantage. The question of whether those clubs could seek compensation or title reallocation is among the many unresolved issues that will follow the appeal process.