Manchester City has been threatened with ejection from the league, huge fines, and point reductions if found guilty.
Gary Neville is outraged by the delayed result of Manchester City’s Financial Fair Play lawsuit, calling it a “disgrace” to football. Since February 2023, the exiting champions have faced 15 alleged breaches of club funds, but no decision has been made public.
Clubs around the league, notably Nottingham Forest, have been waiting for the case’s decision, hoping to learn what they can do if City loses, as well as how they may take advantage of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability standards if they win.
It’s all too much for commentator and Manchester United legend Neville, who expressed his emotions clearly during a debate on The Overlap podcast with Paul Scholes, Jamie Carragher, and football financial expert Kieran Maguire, according to the Mirror.
The charges cover the period from 2009 to 2018, and City vigorously denies any wrongdoing. A hearing began in September and is assumed to have concluded in December, but there has been no word of a ruling, despite City manager Pep Guardiola hinting to an anticipated decision in February.
Neville didn’t mince his words, labelling the lack of progress a blight on the sport itself, stressing that a swift resolution was crucial.
“I have a lot of admiration for City, but it is still a stain to the game. It has just been dragging on for years and years, it’s an absolute joke. Yes, City have been defending themselves, but they’ve been pushing it so far into the long grass that you end up losing the will to live on it and you forget about it. It just needs to be dealt with.”
Maguire, who recently predicted that some charges will go in the Premier League’s favour while City will have the “upper hand” with others, added: “There will be discussions taking place between clubs, lawyers and accountants as to how existing loans can be reclassified as equity. Therefore, that will assist things going forward.
“So I think, based on historical evidence, that City have got the upper hand over the Premier League. (Leading sports lawyer) Nick DeMarco thinks it will be a score draw where the Premier League will win some of the 115 charges but City will have a far stronger case in others.”
