Man City FFP: Premier League TV ‘conspiracy’ revealed amid for ‘elegant solution’ | OneFootball

An “elegant solution” is being searched for to “save face for both sides” as we continue to wait for a verdict on Manchester City’s 115 FFP charges, according to a former Premier League CEO.

An independent commission hearing to examine 115 charges laid by the Premier League against Man City started in September 2024 and ended in December.

The Premier League opened an investigation into Man City way back in 2018 and after a number of legal delays, charges were finally laid in February 2023 and the club were referred to an independent commission.

The charges against the Citizens relate to the requirement to accurately report financial information, including around the value of sponsorship deals, the submission of details of manager and player pay information and to a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s financial regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

They are also accused of failing to co-operate with the league’s investigation. In all, there are charges relating to every season between 2009-10 and 2022-23.

Keith Wyness, former Everton and Aston Villa CEO, has revealed the “conspiracy theories” he’s heard on the case of late, adding that he believes the commission is looking for “an elegant solution” to suit everyone.

“Well, we’re getting into the realms of major conspiracy theories sprouting up everywhere,” Wyness told Football Insider.

“I’m hearing so many things about how the TV contract would be affected if City got relegated, all these sort of things coming out. I think that they are, as I’ve been maintaining for a while, still trying to find an elegant solution behind the scenes to save face for both sides.

“I think that’s still what really is trying to be done. They say they haven’t reached the full opinion yet. I doubt that very much. I know it’s complex, but I think there’s been enough time to do this.”

Wyness insists the Man City case is currently “damaging the game” as the wait continues for the panel’s verdict.

“I know it’s 115 charges, but actually it is only 115 charges, and there’s been enough time to have gone through each of those in detail,” said Wyness.

“Actually, quite a lot of them are actually blocked together in terms of the actual subjects they cover, so it isn’t really 115 individual charges. There’s blocks, probably about three or four major headings that they would be covered under.

“Yes, it’s damaging the game. There’s no point in me repeating everything we’ve said before, but it is a case now that it’s becoming a really big elephant in the room for the Premier League for the future and for all the shareholders.

“The 19 other clubs within the Premier League at the moment and the three that will come in and the three that will go down. It affects everybody right now and it affects I would think all the media bidding and all the new contracts coming up at some stage, so it has a knock-on effect everywhere.”