Latest on the Manchester City case: The biggest controversy the Premier League has faced

One week ago, the Premier League sent a shockwave through the league as they accused Manchester City of over 100 alleged financial breaches.

The alleged breaches, which span the period from 2009 to 2018, are said to relate to the club’s reporting of profits, remuneration, UEFA regulations and cooperation with Premier League investigations.

The club has now been referred to an independent commission that will study the facts before issuing a final verdict, which cannot be appealed.

What is the latest with the Manchester City case?

One week on, several journalists have spoken about the Manchester City case and offered predictions as to what might happen next.

Kieran Maguire, a professor and the man behind Price of Football, explained the intricacies of the case to MARCA.

“The allegations are, in general terms, that City overestimated revenues and underestimated expenses, which allowed the club to comply with the Financial Fair Play,” Maguire said.

“First, they will listen to all parties and examine the evidence. Then they will make a decision and, if they are punished, they could require further scrutiny or penalize them with loss of points and even relegation.”

Meanwhile, Sam Lee, a journalist for The Athletic, sees similarities with the 2020 UEFA sanction of two years out of Europe, which was later overturned by CAS.

“It’s difficult to have an opinion because, while the large number of charges are very serious, it was also serious when City were kicked out of the Champions League,” Lee stated.

“Everyone talked about it, people were very angry, but the club said they would fight and win… and in the end they won.

“Now, the situation looks very similar to then. If they are found guilty, it will be news, but it’s not certain and it could be years before we find out.”

Miguel Delaney, a journalist for The Independent, followed up by putting the seriousness of the events into perspective.

“Because of the alleged charges, it’s the biggest controversy the Premier League has faced, even more than the Super League,” Delaney said.

“People in English football were shocked. The seriousness of the alleged charges is also the reason why the potential punishments could be so severe.”

James Gregg, who works at the BBC, echoed Delaney‘s sentiment.

“It’s the strongest set of charges in Premier League history,” Gregg exclaimed.

“When they communicated them, they knew they were going to cause a stir.

“I don’t know what will happen, but it’s a message to anyone who thinks they can get away with it.

“It’s just the start of a very long legal battle. If you’re City, it’s a worrying thing.”

Chris Flanagan, a journalist for FourFourTwo, highlighted how this could impact the rest of the clubs in the Premier League.

“For the Premier League, the case has to be compelling, as it took four years to conclude the investigation and City have been accused of more than 100 offenses,” Flanagan stated.

“There has been talk in England that some clubs may want City to be relegated if found guilty, or for their league titles to be stripped and given to the teams that finished second in each season.

“But, surely, City will fight the charges very hard, so no one can be sure what the outcome will be. This could be one of the biggest dramas in Premier League history.”

Finally, Alvaro Romeo, of Talksport, believes City cannot come out of the sage unblemished.

“The allegations are extremely serious,” Romeo stated.

“Now the club is expected to allocate all the necessary resources to prepare a solid defence that will allow them to come out of this new litigation unscathed, but not immaculate.

“Immaculate is impossible because its image has already been badly damaged. No matter how hard the lawyers try, it will be difficult for City to offer a flawless argument for each and every one of the more than 100 infringements.

“Indeed, when they won the appeal to CAS three years ago, the judge’s ruling acknowledged that there was indeed a basis for a claim against City.

“It seems that the Premier League kept that part of the judgment to itself and decided to continue to pull the thread.

“Whatever happens, the damage to City‘s reputation has already been done. It ushers in a period where anything City achieves on the pitch will come with a footnote, a reminder that the club is under investigation.

“It is imperative that the punishment, if any, is exactly what was envisaged for such cases, regardless of the damage it may cause to both the Premier League and City.

“This process can be lengthy and, by the time there is a resolution, many current members of the club may be long gone.”