Every detail about Manchester City 115 charges case against English Premier League as Pep Guardiola says he is happy about everything

Monday marked the start of the independent meeting between Manchester City and the Premier League about the 115 claims of financial wrongdoing.

You may have heard of terms like “FFP,” “115 charges,” and “independent commission” in connection with Manchester City’s lawsuit against the Premier League, which began on Monday.

It’s possible that some people have a headache from all the words and jargon that have been used in this case over the last 18 months. It’s possible that everyone wants this story to end so that a verdict can be given on the case.

First, what do I need to know?

The accusations were made in February 2023, and Man City quickly called them false and strongly denied all of them. While the claims are based on the years 2009–2018, Man City’s successes since 2019 are not being emphasized.

This is the biggest case ever, and whether the person is found free or guilty at the hearing will have huge effects on the world. The German newspaper Der Spiegel was the first to report on financial crime in 2018. They said that illegal payments had been made at the club.

How much does it cost?
You can read the full list of charges here, but they can be roughly grouped into three groups: illegal funding, not cooperating, and breaking both Uefa and Premier League rules about money.

The accusations only go back nine years, as was already said. As a side note, UEFA’s rules on money are called “Financial Fair Play” (FFP), while the Premier League’s are called “Profit & Sustainability Rules” (PSR).

How long will it last?

Probably about 10 weeks, or two and a half months at first. However, a decision on the case won’t be made until early 2025 because the independent group is likely to take a long time to think about it.

The Premier League and Man City can both review any decision, which would make the case take longer to finish. In a courtroom, reporters are allowed to be present. Since this is a private hearing, reports are likely to be few and far between.

If Man City is found guilty, will they be sent down?
The best answer is “possibly,” because we don’t know for sure. Because this case is so unusual, it is thought that the sentence could be anything.

That means relegation, losing titles, not being able to make transfers, and losing points are all options. But since PSR decisions about Everton and Leicester were overturned in the last year, it is not clear what power the Premier League really has when it comes to punishing teams.

What did Man City say?
When the charges were made public in February 2023, Man City released a strong statement rejecting all of them and saying they were “surprised” by the Premier League’s claims.

City say they are happy about the independent committee because they have “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” that they are not guilty. “Because of this, we look forward to putting this matter to rest for good,” the statement said.

Pep Guardiola said on Friday that he was “happy” that the case would start on Monday. He then said that all the other Premier League clubs wanted Man City to be punished.

To sum it up, not much. When asked by a government group in January (above), Premier League chief Richard Masters would not say when the hearing would begin, citing the fact that the case was between private parties.

To give another reason for not giving a date, Masters told the BBC in August, “Quite simply, it’s not within our rules to be able to do so.”

“We put out charges and decisions as soon as they are made public.” In between, an independent group is in charge, and they have made it clear that they want the process to be kept secret.

He also said that the case had “been going on for a number of years and I think it’s self-evident that the case needs to be heard and answered.”

The Premier League has nothing to lose.
It’s clear that winning the case would be better for the Premier League, but it would still hurt the league’s competitiveness from 2009 to 2018, when City won three titles and made it to the Champions League more than once.