Guardiola happy Man City hearing to begin on Monday

Manager Pep Guardiola says he is glad the hearing into Manchester City’s 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules will begin on Monday.

City were charged and referred to an independent commission in February 2023 following a four-year investigation.

It is alleged City breached the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018.

City strongly deny all charges and have said their case is supported by a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence”.

“It starts soon and hopefully finishes soon,” Guardiola said of the hearing. “An independent panel will decide and I am looking forward to the decision.

“I’m happy it’s starting on Monday. I know there will be more rumours, new specialists about the sentences. We’re going to see. I know what people are looking forward to, what they expect, I know, what I read for many, many years.

“Everybody is innocent until guilt is proven. So we’ll see.”

Billed as sport’s ‘trial of the century’, it is expected to run for 10 weeks – with a verdict likely in early 2025.

The Premier League has also accused the reigning champions of not co-operating with its investigation.

When the Premier League investigation began, City said the allegations were “entirely false” and that allegations originally published in German newspaper Der Spiegel came from “illegal hacking and out of context publication of City emails”.

If found guilty of the most serious charges, City could be hit with a points deduction serious enough to condemn them to relegation – or even expulsion – from the Premier League.

City have won eight league titles, multiple cups and the Champions League since their 2008 takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group.