Manchester City 115 charges case verdict 'next month' says Pep Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that the club expects to learn the outcome of the hearing regarding the 115 charges of allegedly violating Premier League financial rules "within a month." The hearing took place before an independent commission between September and December of last year.

If Manchester City is found guilty (the club strongly denies the charges), the commission possesses unlimited power, including penalties such as significant point deductions or even relegation. Previously, Guardiola stated in September that critics wanted Premier League champions Manchester City to be "erased from the earth." He had previously renewed his contract with the club for two years, until 2027.

While a conclusion was generally expected in the first quarter of 2025, no one had previously explicitly stated when a ruling would be made. Guardiola confirmed this timeframe, making the remarks in response to a question about whether Manchester City's record £180 million investment in the winter transfer window was due to a potential transfer ban.

"I think in one month we will have a resolution and a verdict," he said. "After that, we will see what is my opinion about what has happened until now." Manchester City has brought in four new players in the past month, including Uzbek defender Abdokodir Khusanov, Brazilian teenager Vitor Reis, Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush, and Spanish U21 midfielder Nico Gonzalez.

This expenditure is the second-highest by a Premier League club in a mid-season transfer window, second only to Chelsea's £275 million in 2023. Guardiola denied that this was simply to strengthen a team that has been underperforming compared to previous seasons. Manchester City is currently fifth in the league standings, 15 points behind league leaders Liverpool.

He also emphasized that this was made possible by Manchester City's profitability over the past three seasons, partly due to the sale of players such as Cole Palmer (Chelsea) and Liam Delap (Ipswich), totaling £57.5 million. "My words will not convince people," he said. "I know that for this club, it is always 'only about the money.'"

"But in the last five years, we are the team in the top six with the lowest net spend. Even after the spending we did in this transfer window, we are far away from Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, even Liverpool. The only reason is that we sold a lot of players in recent seasons."