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Manchester City's Etihad Stadium(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Premier League clubs are reportedly braced for the fallout that will come with the verdict of Manchester City's Financial Fair Play hearing - with a decision expected "imminently".

In February 2023, City were charged with breaching Financial Fair Play rules more than 115 times during a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.

More than 18 months after the charges were levelled at the Etihad outfit - which they strongly deny - an independent commission heard the case over a three-month period at the end of 2024.



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In February, Pep Guardiola revealed that City were expecting to hear the outcome of the trial "in one month".

Now, a little four weeks since that revelation from the City boss, the i Paper claims that fellow Premier League clubs are "braced" for the "carnage" that will follow the announcement of the independent commission's verdict.

But despite a judgment expected any time now, legal experts believe that the initial verdict will be the "starting pistol" for another prolonged battle.

Former Manchester City advisor Stefan Borson told the i paper that he doesn't expect the case to be "resolved" this season, with both sides likely to appeal the decision.

"There’s simply too much at stake for either side to accept a heavy defeat.

Having had time to read the written reasons document before it is made public, it’s likely that either side will announce an intention to appeal at the earliest opportunity," write Sam Cunningham and Mark Douglas.

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"Given how long the Premier League investigation took – five years – and how long the hearing was – 12 weeks – and how many lawyers were involved on both sides, you can expect an appeal to drag on for several more months, if not a year-plus, after the initial verdict is publicised."

Last month, City claimed a first legal victory over the Premier League after an independent panel determined that the league's Associated Party Transaction rules were not fit for purpose.

The rules were brought in by the Premier League in the wake of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund purchasing Newcastle United in October 2021, designed to prevent clubs from signing inflated sponsorship deals with companies linked to their ownership.


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