THE verdict on Manchester City's mountain of charges from the Premier League is unlikely to arrive before the summer, reports suggest.
The Prem's landmark court battle with the club sees City facing more than 115 charges relating to breaches of financial rules over a nine-year period and allegations of failing to cooperate with investigations.
Originally reported as 115, the charges actually come out to 130 overall because of confusion over some of the rules listed in particular seasons, with the Prem issuing a correction with the new figure.
A hearing into the matter by an independent commission concluded in December after nearly three months of argument at London’s International Dispute Resolution Centre.
But now, according to The Telegraph, the outcome of the case is unlikely to emerge before the summer despite initial hope the verdict would be announced in the early spring.
The complexities of the case, including the amount of evidence heard, challenged and scrutinised have all added to the tension around the legal battle.
Premier League bosses first brought the charges against City in February 2023, with the investigation now back almost six-and-a-half years.
City deny their guilt and claim they have “irrefutable evidence”; to back up their position, with their defence being led by Lord Pannick KC.
Manager has been on the front lines dealing with questions about the case.
In February he had said: “In one month there will be a verdict and sentence and after we will see my opinion of what happened so far.”;
However, a verdict remains some time away.
If the charges are proven then City will face punishments ranging from a heavy points deduction or even relegation.
Rival Prem clubs could even claim for a loss of income over the outcome of certain seasons which could total hundreds of millions of pounds.
