Gary Neville had strong thoughts on Manchester City’s 115 charges – “disgrace” to football
With Manchester City yet to discover the final outcome from the Premier League regarding their 115 charges, Manchester United legend Gary Neville branded the situation as a “disgrace” to football
Gary Neville was in a furious mood when discussing Manchester City’s case of 115 charges – as he called the lack of a verdict a disgrace to football
Gary Neville had strong thoughts on Manchester City’s 115 charges
Gary Neville was in a furious mood when discussing Manchester City’s case of 115 charges as he called the lack of a verdict a “disgrace” to football. It was in February 2023 when the club were hit with 115 alleged breaches by the Premier League, which were dated between 2009 and 2018.
While City have consistently denied any wrongdoing, a hearing commenced in September last year and concluded in December. Despite club boss Pep Guardiola suggesting in February that a verdict on the matter would likely be delivered a month later, it has yet to be released.
With the 2024/25 campaign coming to a close on Sunday, the footballing community are still in the dark as to when clarity on City’s case will be made clear.
In a Q&A forum for The Athletic, journalist David Ornstein was asked about whether there are any updates on the charges, with the reply being a one-word answer: “Zero.”
In the latest episode of The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, the topic was discussed by Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher, who were joined on the show by football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
The lack of answers surrounding the situation is one Neville believes is staining football and insisted a solution must come quick.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 23: Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, looks dejected during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC at Etihad Stadium on February 23, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola said in February that he believed a verdict in the case would be reached a month later
“That Manchester City case is a disgrace; it’s an absolute stain to the game,” the Manchester United icon said regarding City allegedly breaching the Financial Fair Play rules.
“I have a lot of admiration for City, but I don’t buy into this theory that clubs do really well, and City have, but it is still a stain to the game.
“It has just been dragging on for years and years, it’s an absolute joke. Yes, City have been defending themselves, but they’ve been pushing it so far into the long grass that you end up losing the will to live on it and you forget about it. It just needs to be dealt with.”
Pep Guardiola and Bernardo Silva
Manchester City lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Crystal Palace to finish the season without silverware
It’s a topic Maguire has spoken on before as he recently predicted that some charges will be ruled in the Premier League’s favour, while City have had the “upper hand” on the league in the past.
“I think we will see some sort of transitional rule with the APTs,” Maguire said. “We have already seen Brighton’s loans from Tony Bloom have been converted into something that is between shares and debt.
“There will be discussions taking place between clubs, lawyers and accountants as to how existing loans can be reclassified as equity. Therefore, that will assist things going forward.
“I think, based on historical evidence, that City have got the upper hand over the Premier League. Nick DeMarco thinks it will be a score draw where the Premier League will win some of the 115 charges but City will have a far stronger case in others.”
It’s been a disappointing campaign for the former league champions who’ll finish the season without silverware for the first time since Guardiola’s arrival almost a decade ago, having lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Crystal Palace at Wembley last Saturday. Their season concludes on Sunday with a trip to Fulham, where a win will secure them a third-place finish.
Source
Leave a Reply