Manchester City Could Face Appeal Hearing by January as Regulator Warns Against Premature Judgments

Manchester City could have their appeal against more than 100 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations heard by January, according to Independent Football Regulator chair David Kogan.

The club, which has repeatedly insisted it is innocent of the allegations, continues to dominate the Premier League standings after recording six consecutive victories. Its latest result was a 3-0 win over Liverpool last weekend.

The outcome of the case could have significant implications for the reigning English football giants. While no punishment has been confirmed, possible sanctions include a heavy points deduction that could threaten their Premier League status. Speculation has also emerged that the club could be stripped of the three league titles it secured between 2009 and 2018.

Speaking on Times Radio on Wednesday, Kogan clarified that Manchester City’s appeal would be considered by an independent commission comprising three retired judges or lawyers.

“The Premier League have said that they want to get this resolved within season, and actually, of course, it’s not the Premier League, it’s an independent commission that’s actually going to hear this, made of three retired either judges or lawyers,” Kogan said.

He explained that the established procedure takes approximately 12 weeks, making January a likely timeframe for the hearing.

“My understanding is that there is a prescribed process, which is 12 weeks, and so people are assuming this will actually be heard by the middle or the end of January.”

However, the IFR chair warned that no conclusions should be drawn until the relevant process has been completed.

“But as I say, it’s not our process, it’s that of the Premier League’s independent commission. What I don’t think we can do is take any judgment until we’re quite clear.”

Kogan had earlier declared that he would step down if political pressure interfered with any future regulatory investigations involving Manchester City.

Political Controversy Erupts Over Burnham’s Comments

Separately, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has come under scrutiny following remarks that he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners decided to leave the club after the verdict in the financial case.

The comments attracted criticism, forcing Downing Street to clarify that no individual or organisation was “above the rules”.

Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester who held the position from 2017 until June 2026, has subsequently released details of his dealings with Manchester City’s leadership.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority disclosed on Monday that Burnham had met club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at an investment summit several years ago during his time as mayor.

Further details revealed that he had spoken with Al Mubarak in the stands at Vincent Kompany’s testimonial and had travelled on official overseas visits accompanied by Manchester City staff.

The controversy resurfaced during Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.

Jerome Mayhew, a Conservative MP, asked whether anyone involved in running Manchester City had approached Burnham or members of his team to discuss the charges.

Burnham firmly denied receiving such representations, stating: “They did not raise those issues with me.”

Kogan, meanwhile, emphasised the importance of protecting the regulator from political influence.

“We’ve had absolutely no interference from anybody since we created the regulator a year ago,” he said on Wednesday.

He maintained that decisions concerning football club owners, directors and other matters must remain free from political interference.

“We cannot, when regulating football, be subject to political interference on decisions we make about owners, directors or anything else.”

Reinforcing his position, Kogan added: “And I won’t actually be prepared to run an organisation which is subject to that degree of interference.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the case, Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca expressed confidence in the club last week, saying he “completely trusts” City and believes they will prevail in their appeal.

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