November 13, according to the British media "Financial Times" report, Manchester City's appeal against financial irregularities will be heard in mid-December.
The report stated that, according to sources, Manchester City's appeal against the financial irregularities ruling will be heard in mid-December, and the hearing may last for several days.
Previously, an independent commission ruled in September that Manchester City was guilty of 114 out of 115 charges in 2023, including arranging sponsorship deals, concealing funds from owners, and violating spending limits. The ruling pointed out that the club artificially inflated its financial scale by more than £900 million over nine years, with a private Abu Dhabi investment company ultimately controlled by Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour making up the difference for some commercial sponsors.
According to relevant sources, the appeal ruling is expected to be announced by the independent commission next year. If the appeal fails, a decision on penalties will then be made. According to the Premier League rule book, the independent commission has the right to impose any penalty, such as fines, points deductions, or even expulsion from the Premier League. It is currently unclear when the penalties will take effect, and the penalty decision can also be appealed again. Legal experts warn that the uncertainty surrounding this case could continue beyond the end of this season, or even for several years.
Meanwhile, William Bourdon, the lawyer for "Football Leaks" founder Rui Pinto, revealed that the UK Serious Fraud Office has contacted Pinto, and Pinto is in talks with UK prosecutors to cooperate in exposing more sports-related crimes. A batch of confidential documents previously disclosed by Pinto to the media directly prompted the investigation into Manchester City. Pinto has been participating in a witness protection program in Portugal since 2020. Portugal had threatened to terminate his protection in September, but changed its stance after his lawyer raised an objection.
Both the Premier League and Manchester City declined to comment on the matter.