After a long wait: the Premier League breaks its silence on the Manchester City case
An endless wait
Richard Masters, the chief executive of the Premier League, has admitted the verdict in Manchester City's financial charges case "has taken longer than expected". He also insisted he remains fully committed to keeping the proceedings confidential until a final decision is reached.
The case dates back three years. The Premier League charged the Sky Blues with breaching financial fair play rules across nine seasons, specifically the period from 2009 to 2018, during which the club lifted three Premier League titles. City's hierarchy have flatly denied every charge and rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing.
At the heart of the case is an alleged failure to provide accurate financial information to the league over those nine years, along with a refusal to cooperate with the investigations into the club's finances. Both parties sat through hearings that ran for 12 weeks before an independent three-member commission between September and December of 2024. Nearly two years on, no verdict has landed.
Quizzed on the latest developments during the launch event for the new Premier League season (2026-2027), Masters told the Sky News network: "There is nothing I can add at the present time. Our rules are entirely clear on this matter, and I must keep everything confidential until we are ready to issue the decision and announce it with full clarity."
By way of explanation, the chief executive added: "I cannot provide any updates regarding the timing or the progress of the procedures. The only path available to us is to let the legal process take its natural course. I fully understand the frustration that exists, as the matter has indeed taken longer than expected."
Was he angry at the length of the deliberations? Masters said not. "Of course not. I previously stated that the commission needs the time and sufficient space to carry out its work. In the end, the role of the Premier League is limited to bringing the charges, when sufficient evidence is available, before an independent commission to enable it to establish the truth, which is something that should not be constrained by the length of time it takes to reach that truth."
