Man City FFP Verdict Could Land in June, Says Finance Expert; Case Descends into "Ridiculous Territory"

Manchester City's seemingly endless FFP saga could finally reach its conclusion this summer, according to those in the know. Stefan Borson, who previously advised the club, has suggested June as the likeliest month for the independent commission to deliver its verdict.

The whole affair traces back to January 2022, when the Premier League hauled City before an independent panel following over 100 alleged breaches of financial fair play rules. The charges relate to conduct spanning 2009 to 2018, with the Premier League having spent four years investigating before deciding to pass the matter to the commission.

City have consistently maintained their innocence throughout, and Pep Guardiola's outfit have continued business as normal in the transfer market. Should the verdict go against them, however, the potential fallout is severe: a substantial fine, transfer restrictions, points deduction, or even expulsion from the Premier League remain on the table.

The hearing itself stretched across several weeks before 2024 ended, yet silence has reigned ever since. That 18-month gap between proceedings concluding and any decision emerging has prompted considerable exasperation.

"My best guess and the feeling among the parties is that it will come at the end of the season – June would be most likely," Borson told talkSPORT. "There's no justification now from a how-long-it-takes-to-write-this-up perspective. This is now ridiculous territory. Eighteen months to write up a decision in a private arbitration is clearly ridiculous."

Borson added that various signals suggest the process is nearing completion, though he acknowledged similar predictions have proven premature before: "I think it's coming quite soon, but then we have said that before, right?"

The prolonged nature of proceedings has worn on observers across the board. Gary Neville recently suggested City could potentially be acquitted of every charge, a prospect that prompted a sharp reaction from Ian Wright.

"They could get off every single charge, they could," Neville said.

Wright's response was notably incredulous: "Really? They could get off? Really? So if they get off every single charge... It's not like five or six. It's 115! I feel like everybody's like Trump here. No one's listening."