The Premier League hearing into Manchester City’s alleged financial breaches is taking place this week
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness has warned Manchester City fans not to expect much more information to be released from their Premier League hearing.
The hearing started on Monday and has progressed throughout the week in London. The club was initially hit with charges by the Premier League in February 2023, citing 115 alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations spanning from 2009 to 2018.
However, it later emerged that City were actually contending with 130 charges due to initial reporting inaccuracies. The football community has been eagerly anticipating news on the commencement of the hearing into these allegations.
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City have consistently denied the claims, asserting they possess “irrefutable evidence” to vindicate themselves. After a lengthy 19-month wait, the proceedings finally started this week in London, and despite the secrecy surrounding the location being compromised, Wyness suggests that further details will be scarce.
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In an interview with Football Insider, Wyness said: “The secret location was leaked, there were photographs of the lawyers going in and the lead lawyer, David Pannick, is reportedly on £5,000 per-hour.
“But we’re not going to be hearing much. They have been very clear about that.”
“The chairman of the commission will only disclose things he wants to be disclosed, and there’ll be no further reporting. Of course in football, we’re all looking for leaks and, if there are no leaks, then people would be making up leaks, so we’re going to have to be very careful with the information coming out.”
Recent reports have indicated that some top-flight clubs are discontent with the perceived ‘secrecy’ surrounding the charges and hearing, arguing that the process should be open to maintain public confidence in justice. Echoing this sentiment, Wyness voiced his support for transparency, saying journalists ought to be allowed in.
“I do believe it should be transparent, because it would add to the penalty,” Wyness affirmed. “If a club realised it would be dragged through the mud publicly, that might be another way to stop the behaviour we’re trying to fight against.”
“It will bore people for the next two months. The detail and minutiae will be incredible and very boring, but there will be bombshell moments.”
Having experienced similar proceedings before, Wyness remarked: “I’ve been around these proceedings a couple of times, and they are very boring – it’s not great TV. However, I do believe that if we’re to enforce rules, then justice needs to be seen to be done.
“There’s some value in having some reporters there and giving us an update on proceedings each day. That would be helpful and important.”
