According to Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol, an appeal hearing must conclude no later than 12 weeks — or 84 days — after the appeal is filed, where the standard directions of the Appeal Board apply.
If City lodge their appeal by Friday’s deadline, the hearing would therefore be required to conclude before Christmas, subject to the applicable procedural directions.
Appeal hearing limited to five days
The Premier League rules state that, under the standard directions, the Appeal Board must schedule a hearing that concludes within 12 weeks of the appeal being filed.
The hearing itself can last a maximum of five days.
Following the hearing, the board will then have 30 days to deliver its decision, meaning the final ruling could come after the hearing deadline.
The timetable is intended to provide an expedited process for appeals under the league’s rules.
City have until Friday to appeal
The deadline follows the publication of the independent commission’s findings into Manchester City’s alleged financial rule breaches.
The Premier League announced on September 29 that the commission had found City guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of its financial rules over a nine-season period, as well as three of four charges concerning the club’s failure to co-operate with the investigation.
The commission found that the breaches involved the club’s financial reporting and commercial arrangements between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons.
Manchester City have the right to challenge the findings through the league’s appeal process. The club has denied wrongdoing and has indicated that it intends to appeal.
What happens next?
If City file an appeal, a three-member Appeal Board will consider the case. Under the Premier League’s rules, the board can allow or dismiss the appeal, or make another order within its powers, including varying the commission’s decision.
The appeal process is separate from the determination of any sanction for the breaches. The Premier League has said that sanctions will be addressed through a further hearing.
The key dates to watch are therefore the Friday, October 2 appeal deadline, the 12-week limit for concluding the hearing, and the subsequent 30-day period for the board to issue its decision.