Man City enter closing statements in Premier League 'trial of the century' over 115 financial rule breach charges in London

Premier League lawyers have been spotted arriving for the closing statements for Manchester City's 'trial of the century'.

City face potential relegation from the Premier League over the 115 charges levelled at them for allegedly breaching the English football body’s financial rules.

The proceedings, which began back in September, were shrouded in mystery initially, before it was later revealed that it was being held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London (IDRC) - which is near St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London.

On Wednesday, Premier League barristers Andrew Hunter KC and Adam Lewis KC of Blackstone Chambers were seen making their way to the centre for closing statements.

Should Lewis and his legal team prove City are guilty of the most serious financial breaches, the club could face severe punishments such as relegation or a significant points deduction.

All of City's 115 charges will be investigated, reviewed and analysed by an independent commission.

Manchester City are entering the final stages of their trial over 115 alleged financial rule breaches

Manchester City's lawyer, Lord David Pannick, has been leading the club's dispute

Of those charges, 54 are allegations City failed to provide accurate and up-to-date financial reports to the league from 2009-10 to 2017-18.

Thirty-five charges related to the club's alleged failure to cooperate with the Premier League's investigation into their conduct between December 2018 and February 2023.

In recent years, City have also faced accusations for inflating the value of their sponsorships that are connected to their owners.

The first allegations of City's financial improprieties came to light in 2018 when German outlet Der Spiegel obtained documents via Football Leaks, a site run by Portuguese computer whiz Rui Pinto.

A resolution on City's 115 charges is expected to be reached in the spring or summer next year - but Mail Sport reported a likely appeal either way could push the case beyond the end of next season.

The Premier League side, who have won eight league titles since 2012, are also facing 14 charges of failing to provide accurate reports in relation to compensation paid to both players and managers across the same period.

Commencement of the trial comes nearly six years after German news outlet Der Speigel published several articles accusing City of the breaches based on documents obtained from Football Leaks.

In September, Mail Sport reported exclusively that the club had told stars that they had 'nothing to worry about' in relation to the club's trial into the financial breaches.

A verdict of Manchester City's 115 charges isn't expected until the spring or summer 2025

Thirty-five of the 115 charges are for alleged failure to co-operate with the investigation

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Defender Aymeric Laporte, who now plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, said to this paper: 'When I was there and the news broke, the sporting director (Txiki Begiristain) and the CEO (Ferran Soriano) came and told all the players and staff that we can all be very calm because not one rule has been broken by Man City.

‘They told us everything was fine so that’s why we all think City will be fine. I don’t think there will be any issues.

‘Like Pep Guardiola always says, if something wrong has been done, they will have to pay for it.’

Last month, City won a landmark legal victory against the Premier League after judges ruled that some of the competition's sponsorship rules are unlawful.

The Associated Party Transactions (APTs) regulations are intended to prevent companies associated with the owners of football clubs from deliberately paying over the odds for deals with the clubs themselves.

The rules were brought in following the Saudi takeover of Newcastle United in an attempt to stop wealthy owners from using these link-ups to boost their teams' revenues so they can spend more money without breaking financial fair play rules.

In City's case, the rules led the Premier League to reject a new sponsorship deal the club had lined up with Etihad late in 2023, as well as a second agreement with an Abu Dhabi-based bank.

A panel of three retired judges ruled the league was wrong to stop the deals because elements of the APT regulation breaches the Competition Act.

In October, City won their legal challenge against the Premier League's sponsorship rules

The decision was seen as a major blow for Premier League chief executive Richard Masters because it will change the direction of the league's future financial governance.

It could even affect future results by making it easier for clubs with super-rich owners to arrange lucrative sponsorship deals, as well as making it easier to buy and sell players between clubs with the same owners.

The panel found the rules in breach of competition law 'by object', a serious and damning infringement.

While the APT rules were brought in after the time period involved in the 115 charges, the panel's findings may well trigger panic among City's rivals across the league, with concerns already raised over costs.

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