Manchester City will continue its fight to clear the club’s name over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, with the process potentially taking years to conclude, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
City chief executive Ferran Soriano told the European Football Clubs (EFC) board on Monday that the club would do everything possible to clear its name, the source told Reuters.
Soriano, who sits on the EFC board, declined to comment to reporters on reports that City had been found guilty of 114 of 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. The reports were confirmed to Reuters by a source familiar with the situation.
Manchester City has consistently denied wrongdoing and is expected to appeal.
The case is one of several issues forming the backdrop to the EFC General Assembly in Copenhagen, where around 500 of the organisation’s 850 members are expected to attend Tuesday’s meeting.
The gathering comes as questions over football governance continue to attract attention at the highest levels of the sport.
EFC chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi is due to address delegates, while UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin is also expected to attend. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was invited but is unlikely to be present, with FIFA’s delegation expected to be represented by Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom.
At global level, Infantino has proposed an independent external review of FIFA’s governance and decision-making following the collapse of a plan to bring private investment into the organisation’s commercial rights business.
The proposal faced resistance from several confederations and national associations, prompting wider debate about how major decisions are made within world football.
The discussions have also raised questions about the balance of power between FIFA’s leadership, clubs, leagues, confederations and national associations, and the role each should play in shaping the future of the sport.
The Manchester City case brings a domestic dimension to those discussions, placing renewed focus on financial regulation, enforcement and the relationship between major clubs and football’s governing bodies.
However, the case remains ongoing and no sanction has yet been announced.
Ceferin’s attendance at the EFC General Assembly is expected to add further focus to discussions surrounding governance, regulation and the distribution of power across European and international football.