Amid so much speculation over Pep Guardiola’s future and now his expected exit after this season, the Manchester City case could yet rumble on for at least six more months, and potentially much more, according to sources with knowledge of the process. The Independent has also been told the independent panel of three judges have not yet made a decision, as the club themselves revealed with the publication of their annual accounts in December.
It remains unclear just how much this has influenced Guardiola’s ultimate decision over his immediate future, with Enzo Maresca the expected heir to the Catalan and one of the most successful football dynasties in English football history. Nobody outside of the panel has any idea of when the judges will actually make a ruling - and it is understood they have also been working on other cases. The initial judgement will likely only be on liability, with a “100 per cent expectation” from those close to the situation that City would strongly appeal any outcome they find unfavourable. City insist on their innocence.
