Man City 115 charges admission made as Premier League chief Richard Masters gives latest update

Manchester City face 115 alleged financial rule breaches but Premier League chief Richard Masters has said he cannot provide a verdict timeline as the independent commission continues its process

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has admitted that he remains uncertain as to when a final verdict will be reached on Manchester City's 115 alleged charges, as their top-flight rivals watch on.

City have been charged for breaching financial regulations over a nine-year period, starting in 2009 following the Abu Dhabi United Group takeover and running through to 2018.

A three-person independent commission - which began in September 2024 - ran for three months, with a ruling expected to be made public before the close of that season.

Yet City are still awaiting their fate, nearly 18 months after the disciplinary hearing drew to a close. The prolonged wait has left supporters frustrated, with many seeking clarity on the matter, but Masters is unable to say when the independent commission will deliver its final judgement.

"I do accept it's taking longer than expected, and I understand that people want to find out as soon as possible what's going on, but I simply can't provide that," Masters told the BBC.

"Our rules are very clear - we have to follow the process, and there's only one real clear route through, which is to allow that process to reach its natural conclusion."

City continue to protest their innocence. Among the alleged 115 breaches, City were initially charged with 54 counts of failing to supply accurate financial information between 2009/10 and 2017/18.

They are also alleged to have failed to provide accurate details regarding player and manager payments on 14 occasions across the same period. City have been issued five charges relating to their failure to adhere to UEFA's regulations, including Financial Fair Play (FFP), from 2013/14 to 2017/18.

A further seven charges concern breaches of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules from 2015/16 to 2017/18, while the remaining alleged 35 charges relate to a failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 to February 2023.

Enzo Maresca, who succeeded Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium in June, was questioned about City's continuing wait for a resolution shortly after taking up his position.

"No, no, to be honest," he responded when asked about the 115 alleged charges facing City, before adding: "The only thing I can say is that three years ago, the treble season, I was here. And there were the same words about this kind of problem.

"In three years, it's still the same, so nothing happened. I don't have anything to say because it's something that is there. But again, the only thing I can say is that the way the organisation is working is to show how serious they are, how good they are, bringing titles and more things."