PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

If it’s true this case entailed 1/2 million documents. Then it’s going to take a good 12 months for all 3 members to get through. Neither one of them will want to miss anything that will question their ability to do their job. All 3 will take however long it needs.
 
If it’s true this case entailed 1/2 million documents. Then it’s going to take a good 12 months for all 3 members to get through. Neither one of them will want to miss anything that will question their ability to do their job. All 3 will take however long it needs.
But that's the objective of the hearing. That's where all the documents are presented as evidence and the witnesses are questioned about them.
 
Feels a bit like this I'm afraid...
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I asked AI to predict the date of release of the verdict (For fun) and its reasoning. So I am sticking with this date, its just as good a guess tbh/

⭐


Thursday, 12 February 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM UK time





⭐


1. The case is extremely complex


The Premier League’s 115-charge case spans:
  • Over a decade of alleged financial rule breaches
  • Disputed sponsorship valuations
  • Manager remuneration issues
  • Non-cooperation claims
Cases of comparable complexity in UK sporting regulation (e.g., independent commissions, arbitration panels) often take many months after hearings close to produce a full written verdict.

2. No verdict has appeared by late 2025

Since we are now in mid-November 2025, and no verdict has emerged, the realistic earliest window shifts into early 2026.

3. Not during the Christmas period

Major governing bodies usually avoid December–early January for big announcements because:
  • Media staff are thinner
  • Football calendar is crowded
  • Public attention is scattered
    So January becomes the earliest plausible month.

4. February is a clean, practical month

February sits:
  • After the transfer window closes
  • Before the title run-in heats up
  • In a quieter media period when the Premier League can control the narrative
    This makes it a strategic time to release a politically sensitive verdict.

5. Why Thursday at 11 AM?


UK regulatory bodies and sports commissions often release decisions:
  • Mid-week (to avoid weekend overshadowing)
  • Late morning (to hit peak news cycles)

Thursday at 11:00 aligns with this pattern.
 
I asked AI to predict the date of release of the verdict (For fun) and its reasoning. So I am sticking with this date, its just as good a guess tbh/

⭐


Thursday, 12 February 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM UK time





⭐


1. The case is extremely complex


The Premier League’s 115-charge case spans:
  • Over a decade of alleged financial rule breaches
  • Disputed sponsorship valuations
  • Manager remuneration issues
  • Non-cooperation claims
Cases of comparable complexity in UK sporting regulation (e.g., independent commissions, arbitration panels) often take many months after hearings close to produce a full written verdict.

2. No verdict has appeared by late 2025

Since we are now in mid-November 2025, and no verdict has emerged, the realistic earliest window shifts into early 2026.

3. Not during the Christmas period

Major governing bodies usually avoid December–early January for big announcements because:
  • Media staff are thinner
  • Football calendar is crowded
  • Public attention is scattered
    So January becomes the earliest plausible month.

4. February is a clean, practical month

February sits:
  • After the transfer window closes
  • Before the title run-in heats up
  • In a quieter media period when the Premier League can control the narrative
    This makes it a strategic time to release a politically sensitive verdict.

5. Why Thursday at 11 AM?


UK regulatory bodies and sports commissions often release decisions:
  • Mid-week (to avoid weekend overshadowing)
  • Late morning (to hit peak news cycles)

Thursday at 11:00 aligns with this pattern.
CoPilot this morning says...

The verdict on Manchester City’s 115 Premier League charges has been repeatedly delayed. Here’s the latest:
  • The independent commission hearing concluded in December 2024, but no decision has been announced yet.
  • Multiple reports suggest the Premier League initially hoped for a ruling in spring or summer 2025, then during the October international break (4–18 October). However, that window passed without an outcome.
  • As of mid-November 2025, insiders say the decision is still pending, partly due to internal Premier League politics (e.g., debate over chair Alison Brittain’s future) and the complexity of the case. There is no confirmed date, and some sources warn it could drag into 2026, especially if appeals follow. [onefootball.com], [manchester...news.co.uk], [express.co.uk]
Why the delay?
  • The case involves alleged breaches from 2009–2018, including inaccurate financial reporting and non-cooperation.
  • Legal processes are slow, and the Premier League has no control over the independent panel’s timeline.
  • Any verdict will likely trigger appeals, meaning the saga could continue well beyond the initial ruling. [sportbible.com], [si.com]

Bottom line: There is no official announcement date, but the earliest realistic expectation now seems to be sometime in 2026, unless the commission surprises everyone with a decision soon.


Sorry chaps...
 
Starting to think we've given that much evidence it'll take till 2030 for the panel to read it
I do wonder if City purposely provided so much evidence in the knowledge it would take such a long time that the PL would start to whinge, which they did a while back, with a long term strategy that any further charges (once we’re cleared of these) would be especially unattractive.
 

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