It is now two years since the hearing into Manchester City’s Premier League charges began – with leading sports barrister Nick De Marco KC describing the wait for an outcome as a “most incredible delay”.
The independent commission began hearing the case on September 16, 2024, after the Premier League charged Man City in February 2023 with more than 100 alleged breaches of its financial rules.
The hearing lasted 12 weeks and concluded in December 2024, but no verdict has yet been announced. City have consistently denied wrongdoing.
Nick De Marco questions lengthy Man City wait
De Marco marked the second anniversary of the hearing by questioning how long the process has taken.
“It is a most incredible delay. So much for those who argue that one of the advantages of sports arbitration is it is speedier and more efficient than using the courts…”
De Marco is not involved in the City case, although he has acted in a number of high-profile football disputes, including Leicester City’s case against the Premier League.
Lord David Pannick KC, who is also at Blackstone Chambers, has represented City in the proceedings.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters acknowledged in August that the process had taken longer than anticipated.
“It has taken longer than expected, and I do understand the frustrations.”
Masters said he could not discuss either the substance of the case or when a decision might arrive, insisting the commission needed the time and space to complete its work.
Asked separately whether there was a danger the case might never be resolved, he said: “It will resolve itself.”
There remains no publicly confirmed date for a verdict.
The charges were originally brought in February 2023 following a Premier League investigation which began in 2018. The full background and latest comments can be read in The Independent’s report.
Two years on from the start of the hearing, City and the Premier League are still waiting for the independent commission’s decision.
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