Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano signaled the club will contest every step of the Premier League’s case against it, telling fellow executives in Copenhagen that the battle is far from over, just days after the club was reported to have been found guilty on the bulk of the charges it faced.
Soriano addressed the board meeting of European Football Clubs, the body formerly known as the ECA, and reminded the room how long the process has already dragged on since the Premier League opened its investigation in 2018.
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According to the Press Association, he told the executives: “It’s taken eight years to get here and it’s going to take a lot more time.”
He then walked out without answering questions from waiting reporters. Manchester United’s chief of international football relations, Jean-Claude Blanc, and Dan Friedkin, who attended as owner of Roma and also owns Everton, were among those present.
The Premier League declined to comment, while City stressed in a statement that the “Premier League process remains ongoing with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.”
Chairman Al Mubarak echoed that message in a letter to supporters on Saturday, insisting the club’s belief in its innocence has not weakened since the case began.
“The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began,” he said.
Mubarak also acknowledged that he is holding back. “There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position,” he wrote, before explaining that legal confidentiality binds him. “Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies.”
The 115 charges accuse City of inflating sponsorship income through companies connected to the club and of making off-the-books payments designed to sidestep financial regulations.
News broke on Friday that the club had been found guilty on the vast majority of them. Rival clubs have moved quickly, and several are now seeking legal advice on whether they can claim compensation.
Sanctions have not yet been announced, but the possible punishments range from a hefty fine to a points deduction and, at the extreme end, expulsion from the top flight.
