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Under Premier League rules, any penalty can be a points deduction or even the threat of expulsion from the Premier League.
The session. The long-awaited Premier League trial into the 115 charges brought against Manchester City will begin on Monday.
City have been accused of breaching financial fair play rules over a nine-year period which began in 2009 and continued until 2018. During that period, Man City - who have denied all allegations against them - won three times Premier League.
What are Manchester City accused of?
According to the Premier League, Man City broke the rules over nine seasons by failing to provide accurate financial information. Among the allegations against City are that they failed to fully disclose the financial rewards paid to one of their managers over a four-year period. The suggestion is that there was a secret contract, so one of the managers was being paid much more than was officially stated.
The Premier League also claims City failed to comply with UEFA's rules on financial fair play over a five-year period. They also claim City have not co-operated fully with the Premier League's investigation.
What can happen to City?
Under Premier League rules, any penalty could be a points deduction or even the threat of expulsion from the Premier League - although that would be an extreme punishment.
When will a decision be made?
A decision by the independent commission is unlikely to be made public before spring. However, the timing is subject to change as it is a legal process, independent of the influence of the Premier League or City.
The formal hearing with the independent commission is expected to last up to two months, with the Premier League and City making lengthy legal representations outlining their case.
The independent commission will then sit down and consider all the evidence before making its decision. This process is expected to take several months due to the volume of fees and the amount of information to be reviewed.
Therefore, it could be March - or later - before a decision from the commission is made public. Once they have reached their conclusion, it will be published.
Even then, if the commission finds City guilty of some or all of the charges against them, the club is likely to appeal that decision, which would further delay the imposition of any sanctions or points deductions.
What did City say?
When the allegations were first announced in February 2023, City said they were "surprised" by the Premier League's claims. As well as expressing their surprise at the allegations, City also claimed to have provided "extensive engagement" and a "vast amount of detailed material" to the Premier League's investigation.
What did Pep Guardiola say?
Pep Guardiola said at the time the charges were announced that he was "absolutely convinced" City were innocent and hit out at the Premier League saying they were "already convicted".
Recently, Guardiola has said that he is happy that the session will start soon and that he hopes that there will be a quick conclusion.
"I'm glad it starts soon and I hope it ends soon for the good of us all. Especially for the club, but for all the other Premier League clubs, as for all the people who do not expect punishment. I wish from the bottom of my heart to go to trial, an independent tribunal – and I say it again, an independent tribunal – and as soon as possible what happened will be published and we will accept it as always ” , he said at a press conference ahead of their match against Ipswich on August 24.
When asked if he was worried that the situation could affect the performance of City's players, Guardiola said: " No, we have been talking about it for three or four years ."
How did we get to this point?
In 2019, the German newspaper Der Spiegel published an investigation based on the work of a Portuguese computer hacker, Rui Pinto, who had hacked into the e-mail accounts of various football clubs and agents.
It was this story that started the UEFA investigation into City, which led to this Premier League investigation.
If City is found guilty, how would an appeal work?
The independent commission will consist of three members, who will be selected by Murray Rosen KC, chairman of the Premier League's judicial panel. The three-person panel may include any of the 15 members of the panel, as well as non-members.
Once a judgment is made, the Premier League and City will be able to appeal - although it cannot be taken to CAS. Instead, Rosen would appoint an appeals panel made up of new members. There are currently six members of the Premier League appeals panel. An appeal would further delay the imposition of any sanctions or point deductions, but it is hoped by all parties that the matter will finally be concluded in the next calendar year./ SkyNews
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