The Premier League have charged Manchester City with 115 counts of financial wrongdoing and a lawyer has warned of the consequences if they are found guilty
Stefan Borson, a lawyer and former financial advisor to Manchester City, has warned that the club could face relegation if found guilty of the 115 charges of financial wrongdoing by the Premier League.
City remain the subject of an FFP investigation. Last year, the Premier League revealed that the reigning champions had been charged with a huge number of alleged financial breaches covering a nine-year period between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters confirmed on Tuesday during an appearance at a House of Commons select committee that a date has been set for the City case to be heard. It has since been claimed in the national press that the proceedings could begin next week in some form.
Borson revealed that City could face relegation if found guilty of the alleged charges. The charges relate to illicit financing and lack of cooperation, which City deny.
This week, Nottingham Forest and Everton have also been accused of breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability rules, allegedly exceeding the three-season cash loss threshold. Everton have already been deducted 10 points for a previous breach of the league’s financial regulations.
Borson told talkSPORT that City’s case is far different from those of Forest and Everton, with more severe consequences if found guilty by an independent commission. “The scale is on a completely different level [to Everton and Forest],” he said. “There can be no question that this will end in at least relegation – that’s no question, if those charges are proven. There’s a suggestion of conspiracy over effectively a 10-year period.
“They [Premier League] are suggesting that City’s main sponsorship agreements are not for £50-60m but are actually for £8m and the whole thing was a sham.
“That a whole load of people lied and a whole load of executives from multiple companies were in on it and that the club also lied to multiple other parties. Professionals, people doing due diligence on the company, the league, UEFA, the FA.”
Borson added: “If proven, this is super serious. Nobody would argue with that. City themselves in their submission – I promise you, because they’ve said it to CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] – will say this is an allegation of the most serious nature.
“I think they [City] will clear their name because I think a case of this nature has to have a level of cogent proof, which seems to me to be impossible to present to an independent commission.
“And furthermore, it seems highly unlikely that the conduct that is alleged has taken place over a 10-year period with the sorts of individuals who are involved in the club and in the companies involved.
“It seems highly unlikely and that will be the starting point of any independent commission. It will be a very big call for any quasi court or tribunal to suggest that this number of people have been dishonest and have perjured themselves.
“That will be a massive call for effectively some KCs and maybe a former finance director of a football club to make against not just Manchester City, but against numerous executives, some third-party individuals and potentially senior members of foreign states.”
Premier League boss Masters mentioned this week that they’ve set a date for the hearing about the charges against Manchester City, but he didn’t share when it is. Given the unprecedented nature of the case, it is not clear what will happen if City are found guilty. But a punishment as serious as relegation would rock world football and the Premier League.
Arsenal finished runners-up to City last season and currently sit three points and two places below them in fourth place in the table. Tottenham are level on points in fifth, with Chelsea ninth.
The Blues are the subject of an investigation into their own financial dealings. Chelsea did not breach the Premier League PSR rules during the period ending season 2022/23, but Masters confirmed that the league are ‘still investigating’ the club.