MANCHESTER CITY LAUNCHES LEGAL CHALLENGE – Sport Industry Group
Manchester City has officially lodged its legal challenges against the Premier League’s 115 charges for alleged financial rules breaches.
According to The Times, City is believed to have stated an objection to the barrister who oversees the disciplinary process – Murray Rosen KC – because he is a fan of the team’s Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Rosen’s role as the head of the Premier League’s independent judicial panel will see him appoint the chair of the disciplinary commission. Manchester City is thought to oppose the decision to place Rosen in the role, considering his support of the Gunners as a conflict of interest.
Manchester City, which is currently closing in on a historic treble, was initially charged by the Premier League back in February. The news followed a four-year investigation by the Premier League, that claims the current league champions breached financial rules over a period of nine seasons.
The club, which is part of the City Football Group (CFG), is alleged to have not provided accurate financial information, ‘in particular with respect to its revenue, its related parties and its operating costs’.
The Premier League also accused City of not co-operating since the investigation started in December 2018.
Some of the charges also pertain to the club allegedly failing to provide full details of their former manager Roberto Mancini’s pay during the 2012/13 season and not providing ‘full details of player remuneration in its relevant contracts with players’ from 2010/11 to 2015/16, both of which are required under Premier League rules.
As well as opposition to Rosen, it is thought that City’s decision to lodge challenges against the 115 charges relates to recent changes in the Premier League rules.
The club is believed to argue that it should not apply to investigations into rule breaches alleged to have happened before then.
Legal experts have estimated that the case could take between two and four years to be resolved and the latest challenges could lead to further delays.
City was banned for two years from European competition by Uefa in 2020 for alleged breaches of its Financial Fair Play rules but the club successfully overturned that suspension in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). However, there will not be an option for City to appeal to CAS against any Premier League sanctions as the European court is not recognised by the clubs.
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