Man City CEO Ferran Soriano Says Premier League Legal Fight Could Take Years

Manchester City’s long-running dispute with the Premier League could continue for several more years, with chief executive Ferran Soriano reportedly telling fellow football executives that the club remains determined to fight the case.

Reports last week claimed an independent tribunal had reached decisions on the Premier League’s 115 charges against City, with the majority reportedly found proven. However, neither the Premier League nor Manchester City has officially confirmed the details of the verdict because the disciplinary process remains confidential.  

Soriano expects a lengthy legal battle

Soriano reportedly discussed the situation during a meeting of the European Football Clubs executive board in Copenhagen.

According to Sky News, the Manchester City chief executive referred to the length of the case and the interest being shown by other clubs. He is understood to have stressed that the dispute, which has already been running for around eight years since the allegations first emerged, could take considerably longer to resolve. 

Soriano did not speak to reporters about the case when he left the meeting.

City are expected to continue challenging any findings against them through the available appeal process.

City continue to deny wrongdoing

Manchester City have consistently rejected the allegations made against them.

The club were charged by the Premier League in February 2023 following a lengthy investigation into alleged breaches of the competition’s financial regulations.

Following the latest reports, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak reiterated City’s position, saying the Premier League process still had a long way to go and that the club remained determined to establish its innocence. 

City have also stressed that the disciplinary process remains subject to confidentiality and due process.

What happens next?

The reported tribunal findings are not necessarily the final stage of the dispute.

Sky Sports News understands that the case is moving towards an appeal process. Under the Premier League’s rules, an appeal would be considered by a new three-person panel. Unlike City’s previous UEFA case, there is no route to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) under the Premier League regulations. 

A separate legal challenge could potentially be considered if City believe the disciplinary process itself was conducted unfairly.

That means the eventual conclusion could still be some distance away.

Previous UEFA case gives City a reference point

Manchester City have already experienced a lengthy legal battle over financial regulations.

In 2014, the club received a £49 million fine from UEFA for financial fair play breaches. Six years later, UEFA imposed a two-year European competition ban and a €30 million fine.

City successfully challenged the European ban at CAS, with the sporting court overturning the suspension. 

That previous victory could provide encouragement as the club prepares for another appeal, although the current Premier League case operates under different rules.

The potential consequences remain unclear

The biggest unanswered question is what sanctions Manchester City could face if the reported findings are eventually confirmed and survive the appeals process.

The Premier League disciplinary process could result in significant sporting or financial consequences, but the exact punishment cannot be known until the formal judgment and subsequent sanctioning process are completed.

There could also be wider legal consequences.

Other Premier League clubs may explore compensation claims if they believe they suffered financial or sporting losses as a result of City’s alleged breaches. However, any such claims would involve separate legal proceedings and would depend on clubs being able to establish their losses. 

A case that continues to dominate English football

Manchester City’s dispute with the Premier League has already lasted years and has become one of the most significant financial-rule cases in English football.

The reported tribunal decision has moved the story into another phase, but it has not brought the dispute to an immediate conclusion.

With appeals still possible and further legal avenues potentially available, Soriano’s reported warning that the battle could continue for years reflects just how far the Manchester City case may still have to go.