La Liga chief says handling of Man City case has been ‘damaging’ for Premier League | OneFootball

The Premier League’s protracted handling of the financial charges against Manchester City has been branded "damaging" by LaLiga president Javier Tebas, who criticised the ongoing lack of resolution in a case that has dragged on for over three years.

Manchester City were accused in February 2023 of more than 100 alleged breaches of the league’s financial rules, allegations the club has consistently and strenuously denied.

Despite an independent commission hearing the case between September and December 2024, no public outcome has yet been announced.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit in London, Tebas argued that the issue was not merely the delay, but the "uncertainty" it had created regarding the application of rules, especially when other clubs have faced swift sanctions for similar infractions.

"I understand that it’s a failure (of governance) – this happened with Manchester City and other clubs are looking and watching and listening," Tebas stated.

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Man City chiefs have always denied the allegations (PA) (PA Archive)

He highlighted a perceived double standard: "(Other clubs are) being fined, having points deducted, and that’s fine if you don’t abide by the rules. But Manchester City has impunity.

“I speak to a lot of Premier League clubs, and the majority don’t understand this either. That makes the institution weaker."

Tebas emphasised the need for legal certainty in financial fair play regulations.

"It’s not just the delay, it’s the general situation. When a great institution like the Premier League, when you have to have rules for financial fair play, you need to have a lot of legal certainty in the competition and among clubs.

“Citizens have to think that the system is fair to all, that it’s not arbitrary, that it’s objective. When you have this type of situation, you’re generating uncertainty and that’s damaging for an institution’s image."

Manchester City maintains its innocence, asserting it possesses a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" to support its position.

Tebas, drawing on his own organisation’s experience, stressed the importance of upholding rules despite pressure: "You just can’t give in, because the value of legal certainty is more important. We can’t be arbitrary, we have to be firm."

Later at the same event, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters declined to comment on the specifics of the City case.

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Premier League chief executive Richard Masters refused to give an update on the case (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Wire)

"I can’t talk about it, I can’t talk about the timing of it," he said.

When pressed on whether the league was considering ways to expedite future cases, Masters remained tight-lipped.

"I simply can’t comment. Having spent three years not commenting, I’m not going to start now. Stepping aside from that (specific case), any regulator wants its judicial system to be efficient and work swiftly. That’s about as far as I can go."