Man City FFP: PL to ‘implement new rule’ as plan surfaces after ‘£30m’ blow with ‘appeal expected’
The Premier League reportedly may ‘implement a new rule’ and this could be made official once Manchester City’s Financial Fair Play case has concluded.
At the start of 2023, Man City were charged with breaching over 100 of the Premier League’s FFP rules. They were referred to an independent commission following a four-year probe into their conduct between 2009 and 2018.
Pep Guardiola‘s side have insisted on their innocence and it remains to be seen whether they will be found guilty as this case remains ongoing.
If found guilty, Man City could be given a huge fine, points deduction, transfer ban, expulsion or be stripped of their Premier League titles.
This case has already dragged on for much longer than most would have liked as it is a far more complicated case than the ones involving Everton and Nottingham Forest last season.
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A new report from Football Insider claims the Premier League are planning to ‘implement a new rule’ after Man City’s case.
It is claimed that the Premier League ‘could look to bring in new rules ensuring its legal fees are paid for in any court battles it wins after the Manchester City 115 charges case’.
This revelation has been made after it emerged that the Premier League spent around £30m on legal cases against its own clubs last season. The report explains.
‘Sources have told Football Insider the Premier League could now propose new rules are brought in to ensure the majority of its legal fees are paid for by a club if they are proven to have committed a financial breach.
‘Any such measure would need to receive the backing of two-thirds of the top-flight clubs to be approved.
‘Man City are expected to appeal against any potential punishment after their lawyers have been adamant the club haven’t done anything wrong since the charges were handed out last year, potentially adding to the Premier League’s associated legal costs.’
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In August, former Man City financial advisor Stefan Borson explained why he does not think there will be a final decision’ on the FFP case until the end of 2025.
“What we don’t know here is if they have not only booked out the panel’s time for the whole of the rest of the year for the hearing, but whether they have also booked them out for the first part of 2025 for them to consider and then write up their written reasons,” Borson said.
“The idea that it would be very early in 2025 if it is a 10-week trial, I think is unlikely. You can expect that they will need something like at least the same time again to write up the decision.
“If it really is a 10-week hearing, I can’t see that they are going to be able to deliver it any time before March.
“If actually what’s happened is loads of charges have dropped off and have already been dealt with and we are actually looking at a much shorter hearing, then everything changes.
“But taking it all at face value from everything we have seen in The Times in particular, that it is a 10-week trial that’s going to run until the end of the year and, therefore, has an incredible level of complexity that we always thought it had, this is just not going to be dealt with to conclusion after appeal before the end of 2025 rather than the end of the 2024-25 season.”