Premier League CEO Richard Masters refused to give Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea or the remainder of the Premier League any hints as to when we will discover Manchester City’s fate following their Financial Fair Play (FFP) hearing.
In February 2023, City were charged with an unprecedented 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s FFP rules between 2009 and 2018. These charges mostly revolved around the payment of players and managers by City during the outlined period.
City have always denied any wrongdoing and insisted they had ‘irrefutable evidence’ that would clear their names. However, the wait to put forward this evidence has been substantial with the Premier League having not arranged the hearing until September 2024.
An independent panel heard the evidence over the next few months and have since adjourned to deliberate on their decision. There is an expectation that we will hear news on City’s fate before the season ends.
However, speaking at the Financial Times’ Business of Football Summit, Masters was asked by Josh Noble to address the ‘elephant in the room’ and explain when City are likely to discover the outcome of the hearing. But, Masters refused to be drawn on the topic.
“You won’t be surprised to hear that I won’t be talking about this, I can’t,” he explained. “I mean, the disciplinary panel has heard the case and they must be left alone now to consider their decision and given the time and space to be able to do that.
“That is as pretty much as far as I can go.” Should City be found guilty of the charges facing them, nobody is entirely sure what the punishment will be.
Due to the severity of the allegations, relegation from the Premier League has been cited as a potential punishment, along with a potential points deduction and fines.
