Man City's FFP Reckoning: When Will Justice Be Served? Expert Warns Verdict is Still Months Away

The waiting game continues for Manchester City and their supporters, as the Premier League's sprawling financial fair play investigation shows no signs of reaching a conclusion. Facing over 100 charges spanning 2009 to 2018, City have spent the better part of two years in limbo following their hearing's conclusion at the tail end of 2024.

While some in the football finance world have suggested a resolution may be imminent, the reality appears considerably more protracted. Stefan Borson, who previously advised City on financial matters, has dampened expectations considerably, insisting the club remains nowhere near the finish line.

The process itself operates in two distinct phases, according to Borson. First comes the question of liability—whether City actually breached the regulations they stand accused of. Only then, should that verdict go against them, will a separate hearing determine what punishment fits the crime.

"Nobody knows what the sanction would be because nobody knows what the decision is on liability first," Borson explained. "There'll be a separate hearing in relation to sanction. It won't happen for months and then when it does happen, we'll then be waiting for months for the decision."

This two-stage structure means the football world cannot expect both verdict and penalty to arrive simultaneously. When the initial decision eventually drops, the real work of determining consequences will only be beginning.

The prospect of a points deduction has dominated recent speculation, with some analysts suggesting a 60-point sanction might prove "logical" if City are found culpable. Borson, however, rejects such straightforward calculations. Drawing parallels to the Everton and Nottingham Forest cases—where both clubs received relatively modest deductions—and simply multiplying them across a decade of alleged breaches fundamentally misunderstands the situation.

"It really will be a case of it being unprecedented," Borson said. "These are not conventional PSR breaches of that nature."

The uniqueness of City's charges means traditional precedent offers limited guidance. Any sanction handed down will venture into largely uncharted territory, making confident predictions about outcomes little more than educated guesswork at this stage.