Manchester City counsel questions motive of voter clubs in “astonishing” intervention at Premier League meeting | OneFootball

Manchester City general counsel Simon Cliff raised huge eyebrows when he questioned the motive of certain voter clubs at a recent Premier League shareholders meeting, as per a new report.

The legal bill has piled on for the four-in-a-row Premier League champions amidst their long-awaited verdict into the alleged 115 breaches of the league’s financial rules by an independent commission – having been charged in 2023.

Reports in England have indicated a verdict is nearing after Pep Guardiola revealed in a press conference he was expecting news by spring, but David Ornstein of The Athletic recently wrote in a Q&A article there remains uncertainty around when the verdict will be announced.

City have plenty at stake in their ongoing battle with the Premier League and the extent of their possible punishment should they be found guilty of breaking financial rules and regulations between 2009-18 has been mooted since the charges came to light.

A massive points reduction, relegation from the Premier League and even trophies won during the nine-year period of alleged breaches being stripped away have all been raised by some quarters as what would quantify as appropriate punishment for Manchester City.

However, there remains a quiet confidence amongst officials at the Etihad Stadium over the impending verdict and City’s strides in the January transfer window would indicate the club are certain they will be cleared of majority of the wrongdoing they have been accused of by the Premier League.

CIty signed Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez for a combined £181.5 million in January and tied down star forward Erling Haaland to a sensational 10-year deal that will keep the Norway international at the Etihad Stadium till the summer of 2034.

As reported by Times Sport, Manchester City general counsel Simon Cliff raised eyebrows by questioning the voting motive of a set of unnamed clubs in a recent Premier League shareholders’ meeting.

Cliff’s words have been described to be a key point of discussion amongst club executives after the meeting ended, with the Manchester City counsel urging Premier League chairwoman Alison Brittain to note the intervention noted in the meeting’s minutes.

Premier League clubs remain in talks over the best way to move forward with the league’s Associated Party Transactions rules, with Manchester City critical of the rules and having recently accused the league of distorting the competition in favour of Arsenal, Everton, Leicester City and Brighton and Hove Albion.