The reigning Premier League champions are set to face an inquiry regarding the 115 charges brought against them. Premier League CEO Richard Masters indicated this week that the case might be heard in September.
The vast number of charges has led many to anticipate a severe punishment if the club is found guilty. However, David Ornstein told talkSPORT that many of these charges are duplicates. Each year they allegedly breached the same rule is counted as a separate charge, which could affect the severity of their punishment rather than infringing on different regulations.
“A lot of the alleged offenses are repeat, so that’s helped inflate the number,” Ornstein said. “A lot of people go ‘wow, 115 separate charges’. That’s not the case. Because of the time span, it’s year after year of the same thing, including non-compliance and alleged inflating of sponsorships artificially with the help of their ownership being disguised.”
With Everton and Nottingham Forest receiving points deductions for financial breaches last season, there are calls for City to be relegated from the Premier League if they are found guilty of all 115 charges. However, while the case is expected to begin soon, it could be a lengthy process before a final verdict is reached on the club’s future.
City plans to challenge the charges and is likely to appeal if found guilty, meaning the issue could drag on beyond the 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, City will kick off their Premier League campaign this Sunday with a match against Chelsea.