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Manchester City's self-assurance remains unshaken. The embattled club responded to the guilty ruling handed down by an independent panel by boldly proclaiming their innocence and emphasizing: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted."
The statement was so persuasive that even a spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham appeared to view the matter as unresolved. "If wrongdoing is established..." the statement read. It was later amended to, "Wherever wrongdoing is established..."
Wrongdoing has indeed been confirmed following a rigorous investigation spanning more than two years, yet the notion that this saga is far from finished also holds merit. City have lodged an appeal and vowed to leave no stone unturned in their battle against this alleged "Premier League conspiracy."
Unraveling all those complexities will still require considerable time.
How Long Will Appeal Process Take?
Thanks to updated regulations introduced by the Premier League, there is a defined timeline that the appeal process must adhere to. A newly assembled three-person panel will be required to conduct a five-day hearing within 12 weeks of the appeal being submitted.
From that point—which conveniently falls on Christmas Eve—the independent body has 30 days to deliver its ruling. At the very latest, a decision will be reached before the close of January.
What Will Man City Be Appealing?
This is not a retrial. Manchester City may only appeal on the grounds of procedural errors or material errors of law. The club hinted at their intentions in a pointed response to the official verdict:
"The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence. The club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete." The suggestion being that independence, impartiality, fair-mindedness, or non-partisan conduct was not upheld.
Past cases provide a reference point for what City might pursue. Chinese three-time Olympic gold medallist Sun Yang had an eight-year doping ban temporarily overturned by Switzerland's highest court after successfully arguing that one of the panel arbitrators lacked impartiality. After sifting through thousands of old social media posts, Sun's legal team discovered that the arbitrator "castigates a Chinese practice of dog slaughter and denounces the consumption of this meat at a local festival in China."
It remains to be seen what City's legal team can uncover regarding the independent commission's panel. The appeal board holds nearly every available power at its disposal, including:
What Can Man City Do After an Appeal?
Should City's appeal prove unsuccessful, they retain the option of bringing the case before an independent arbitrator. However, this route is only available if a verdict has been:
Beyond that, there is the last-resort option of escalating the matter to the High Court, where City could challenge whether the Premier League's regulations comply with U.K. competition law.
When Will This End?
This saga shows no signs of reaching a swift conclusion. Sports law specialist Paul Gilroy KC appeared on a recent episode of Stick to Football. "I heard Jill [Scott] saying this morning, 'It'd be great to have this finished by the end of the season.' Good luck with that one," he remarked dismissively.
"Never mind this season or the next or maybe the next five seasons."
In a direct address to club staff following the verdict, Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano warned: "We will now be relentless in our work. We will focus on the independent appeal process and also all other legal avenues available to us in order to win the case, and we will take all necessary action to protect the club and seek compensation from any party that tries to damage it now, and in the future."
It took nearly eight years from the outset of the Premier League investigation to arrive at an initial guilty verdict. Yet, as City have been eager to remind anyone willing to listen, the process is still very much ongoing.