Other less wealthy clubs than Manchester City, like Everton and Nottingham Forest, have seen swift judgement delivered for their own breaches of financial regulations
Former Manchester United captain and current pundit, Gary Neville, has slammed the Premier League for its handling of Manchester City’s 115 financial charges, calling the prolonged delay in delivering a verdict “an absolute stain to the game”.
City were first charged in February 2023 following a years-long investigation into alleged breaches of financial fair play (FFP) rules spanning from 2009 to 2018. A formal hearing took place between September and December 2023, but nearly two years later, followers of English football are still waiting for a resolution. No punishment or exoneration has been announced.
This is especially damning given that other less wealthy clubs like Everton and Nottingham Forest have seen swift judgment delivered for their own breaches of financial regulations, yet the City case appears to be stuck in limbo.
Everton and Forest both received points deductions during the 2023/24 season within months of charges being brought. In stark contrast, Manchester City’s case is now in its third calendar year without closure.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Neville said: “That Manchester City case is a disgrace; it’s an absolute stain to the game. I have a lot of admiration for City, but I don’t buy into this theory that clubs do really well, and City have, but it is still a stain to the game. It has just been dragging on for years and years, it’s an absolute joke.”
City’s legal team have put up a strong fight to avoid punishment, including challenging the rules through an arbitration system – the first time a club has done that in the history of the Premier League.
“Yes, City have been defending themselves, but they’ve been pushing it so far into the long grass that you end up losing the will to live on it and you forget about it,” said Neville. “It just needs to be dealt with.”
