The Premier League has spent a vast fortune fighting Manchester City over at least 115 charges of alleged financial breaches, with their legal expenses thought to have now surpassed £200 million ($272 million).
Man City were formally charged with 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) in February 2023, although that total number could reach as high as 134 breaches depending on the categorization of the case.
The club have denied any wrongdoing and lawyered up to combat the allegations, resulting in a protracted legal battle which has cost both Man City and the Premier League an enormous sum.
Following the release of the Premier League’s latest accounts, The Times report that while legal bills dropped from around $65 million in 2023–24 to approximately $60 million for 2024–25, the total cost of managing the case against Man City from both sides sits at over a quarter-of-a-million dollars.
When Will the Verdict Be Reached on Man City’s Charges?
The hearing against Man City took three months to complete and was eventually wrapped up in early December 2024. However, no official verdict has been revealed as of yet, and the Premier League’s accounts give no indication of when the case will come to its conclusion.
There has been widespread fury and frustration at the length of time taken to reach the verdict, although the complex nature of the case certainly helps explain why the process has been been so slow.
Premier League chief Richard Masters, whose pay rose by 30% to $3.6 million in salary and bonuses for 2024–25, refused to offer a definitive timeline when discussing the matter back in February 2026.
“I simply can’t comment. Having spent three years not commenting, I’m not going to start now. More broadly, any regulator wants its judicial system to be efficient and work quickly—that’s as far as I can go,’ said Masters.
The most likely punishment for Man City if they’re found guilty is a massive points deduction, which could range between 40 and 60 points at its most extreme. The Premier League is unable to impose automatic relegation on the club, however.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Staggering Cost of Premier League Legal Battle vs. Man City Over 115 Charges—Report.
