Premier League chief admits no timeline for Man City's 115-charge verdict

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has admitted he has no idea when a verdict will be delivered on Manchester City’s 115 alleged charges, with the independent commission yet to publish its findings nearly 18 months after the disciplinary hearing ended.

City were referred to an independent panel over alleged breaches of financial rules spanning a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018, following the Abu Dhabi United Group’s takeover of the club. The hearing itself began in September 2024 and ran for three months, with a ruling originally expected before the end of that season. No decision has been forthcoming.

“I do accept it’s taking longer than expected, and I understand that people want to find out as soon as possible what’s going on, but I simply can’t provide that,” Masters said. “Our rules are very clear — we have to follow the process, and there’s only one real clear route through, which is to allow that process to reach its natural conclusion.”

The 115 charges cover a broad range of alleged misconduct. City face 54 counts of failing to provide accurate financial information between 2009/10 and 2017/18, as well as 14 charges relating to inaccurate details for player and manager payments over the same period. A further five charges concern alleged non-compliance with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations between 2013/14 and 2017/18.

Seven additional charges relate to breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules from 2015/16 to 2017/18. The largest single block — 35 charges — concerns City’s alleged failure to cooperate with Premier League investigations between December 2018 and February 2023.

City have consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the process. With Masters offering no indication of when the commission’s findings will be made public, the club and the wider football world remain in a prolonged state of uncertainty over one of the most consequential cases in English football history.