Manchester City are expected to be found in breach of at least some of the 115 charges made against them by the Premier League, but it would not be surprising if a final outcome still took more than two years, according to sports lawyer Tom Murray. The founding partner of the Three Points law firm anticipates this process will continue to be drawn out and exacerbated by the appeal process.
City stand accused of breaching financial rules over a nine-year period spanning from 2009. The investigation was opened in 2019 and included allegations over the club's financial reporting and lack of cooperation with the investigation, though the club deny any wrongdoing.
Charges were announced in 2023, and City face 54 allegations of failing to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009/10. They also face 14 alleged breaches of failing to provide accurate financial reports of player and manager compensation over the same period.
The hearing started in September 2024 and lasted 10 weeks, but all parties still await an outcome. The volume of charges and severity of the accusations appear to have contributed towards the long wait for a verdict, with the case being unprecedented in English football.
Murray believes the sheer scale of charges will eventually see Manchester City found guilty of at least some. But, amid persistent speculation over when the result of the case could arrive, the solicitor stopped short of predicting when the outcome would be delivered, having claimed to have spoken to those working on the case.
"I don't think anyone knows," Murray told the Price of Football podcast. "I've spoken to barristers working on the case, and even they don't know when the decision will be released. As much as I would like to speculate, I think it would be pointless.
"What do I think the outcome is going to be? I think Manchester City are going to be found liable, in breach of something. With the number of charges there are I don't think they are going to get away with this.
"But this is going to be strung out for as long as possible and I think we can expect an appeal and we'll be back in the same position. In two years' time, it wouldn't be surprising if we still don't have a final outcome."
In contrast, former City financial adviser Stefan Borson believes the club will have a verdict 'quite soon'. He has suggested it could arrive by the end of the season.
"I think it’s coming quite soon, but then we have said that before, right?" he said. "My best guess and the kind of feeling in the parties is that it will come at the end of the season.
"June would be most likely, that’s the feeling. There’s no justification now from a kind of how long it takes to write this up, there’s no justification now.
"This is now ridiculous territory. 18 months to write up a decision in a private arbitration is clearly ridiculous. There’s been little things that I’ve heard that would signify that we are coming to the end of the process of writing it up."
