City has until Friday, October 2, to lodge its appeal after an independent commission found the club guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial regulations. City continues to deny the allegations and has confirmed it will appeal.
Under the Premier League’s new appeals rules, the process is designed to be significantly faster, with an appeal required to be concluded within 12 weeks and the hearing itself limited to a maximum of five days.
However, Sky Sports News reports that City’s lawyers could argue that those rules should not apply to its case because the charges were brought in 2023 and the main hearing took place in 2024, before the new accelerated appeals provisions were included in the Premier League Handbook.
A legal expert consulted by Sky Sports News believes City would have a strong argument that the new rules should not retrospectively govern a case that began before they came into force.
The timing could therefore become a major issue in determining when the appeal is ultimately resolved.
The original hearing before the three-person independent commission lasted 12 weeks, running from September 16 to December 6, 2024. The commission subsequently took considerably longer than expected to deliver its verdict.
The Premier League introduced the accelerated appeals provisions with the intention of ensuring disciplinary cases are resolved, where possible, during the season in which the relevant breaches occurred.
City’s case, however, dates back much further. The club was charged in February 2023 following a Premier League investigation into alleged financial rule breaches between 2009 and 2018.
The independent commission has now found City guilty of serious financial breaches. The club maintains its innocence and has confirmed its intention to challenge the ruling.
The eventual appeal could determine whether the case is concluded within the Premier League's new 12-week timetable or whether arguments over which procedural rules apply lead to a significantly longer process.
• Charges: Manchester City was charged in February 2023
• Original hearing: September 16 to December 6, 2024
• Verdict: Independent commission found City guilty of serious financial breaches
• Appeal deadline: October 2, 2026
• New appeal timetable: 12 weeks, with hearings limited to five days
• Potential complication: City could argue that the new rules should not apply to a case that began before their introduction
• Possible outcome: The appeal process could extend into 2027 if the procedural dispute causes delays