Man City ‘challenge’ 115 Premier League charges amid impartially claims over Arsenal fan

Manchester City have reportedly lodged a complaint against the Premier League’s handling of the 115 allegations made against the club in February.

The Premier League brought 115 charges against City which date as far back as 2008. The club have always denied these charges and said at the time they ‘welcome’ the process.

But the Times now report that City have lodged a legal challenge and are ‘disputing the legality of the investigation’. These relate to recent changes in the Premier League’s laws.

City have also complained about the appointment of Murray Rosen KC as the head of the Premier League’s independent judicial panel, with the lawyer’s profile on the revealing he supports City’s rivals Arsenal.

The Times add: The challenges are likely to cause a further delay to the outcome of the case — legal experts believe that it could be between two and four years before it is completed. Any legal dispute between the clubs and the league should initially go to an arbitration tribunal, and beyond that it can go to the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Should City be found guilty there could be a range of sanctions administered, including expulsion from the English top flight.

The 115 allegations relate to financial misconduct, including the misreporting of club finances and rumination in relation to Roberto Mancini’s salary, as well as player remuneration between 2010 and 2016. City have also been accused of failing to cooperate with the investigation and hand over relevant documents.

In a statement when the allegations were made against City in Februray, the club said: “Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with.

“The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position. As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”

The process will be handled by the Premier League’s independent judicial panel, although no timeframe has been official given on how long this will take.