Man City FFP: Premier League has ‘no influence’ over verdict release date – Richard Masters

James Holland 14 Aug 2025 10:34 AM

Pep Guardiola and Richard Masters

Premier League CEO Richard Masters has discussed the financial case against Manchester City during a new interview, being quizzed on whether he is ‘frustrated’ by the delay in the verdict being announced.

In February 2023, Man City were charged with breaking the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules on 115 occasions between 2009 and 2018, a period in which they won three league titles. Those charges have since been increased to 130.

The Premier League allege that City provided inaccurate financial information in several areas such as operating costs and sponsorship income.

City have also been accused of paying a manager extra money for four years via a secret contract, as well as failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.

City strenuously deny any wrongdoing and insist their name will be cleared via a body of ‘irrefutable evidence’.

Pep Guardiola’s side were referred to an independent commission, and the hearing took place for 12 weeks between September and December last year.

Guardiola previously told reporters he was expecting the verdict to emerge in March, but that deadline came and went. The verdict was then delayed until the summer, but there is still little news.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Masters was asked about the City case. “I can’t talk about it. Our rules are very specific, they say we can’t talk about things as the charges are made and not until a decision has been published,” he said.

“We still await that decision, and I can’t talk about the timing and speculate when that may be.

“What I can tell you about is the system and how it works: it’s an independent judiciary. Once the allegations and charges have been put forward, they go before an independent panel which is independently selected. And they are then in charge of the process and its timings.

“They hear the case, they decide the outcome. We have no influence over that or its timing. And that’s right from an independent point of view, you have independent people making those decisions. And we just have to wait.”

On whether he is frustrated at the long wait for the verdict to be announced, Masters added: “My frustration is irrelevant. I just have to wait. Legal processes rarely take less time than anticipated. We have to be patient.”

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‘Real frustration’ on both sides

Journalist Rob Dorsett said: “It is clear this legal battle between the Premier League and Man City is a very divisive one, but it is also clear it will be a defining moment in the recent history of English football – when the outcome is finally known.

“Right at the very start, it needs to be pointed out that City deny any wrongdoing. But there’s no doubt the ongoing delays are a source of real frustration for both them and the Premier League.

“I think the hope was that the matter would be resolved one way or the other a few months ago, and certainly before the start of this coming Premier League season.

“My latest interview with Richard Masters, the chief executive of the league, mirrored the questions I asked him 12 months ago, and his answers were inevitably similar – that it would be wrong for him to make any comment whilst an independent investigation is ongoing.”

It emerged recently that the verdict is not expected to be released until October’s international break at the earliest, which runs from the 4-18.