The chair of the Independent Football Regulator has said he expects Manchester City’s appeal against more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules to be heard by January. David Kogan made the comments in a radio interview on Wednesday.
City have repeatedly said they are innocent of the charges. The club is top of the Premier League table with six wins from six, following a 3-0 victory over Liverpool last weekend. No sanction has been announced, but City could face a heavy points deduction that might lead to relegation. There has also been speculation that they could lose the three league titles won between 2009 and 2018.
Independent commission to hear City appeal
Kogan said the Premier League wanted the matter resolved within the season. He stressed that the case would be heard by an independent commission of three retired judges or lawyers, not by the league itself.
He said the prescribed process takes 12 weeks, so people were assuming a hearing by the middle or end of January. However, he added that the regulator could not reach any judgment until the position was clear.
Warning over political interference in investigations
Kogan said on Tuesday that he would resign if there was political interference in any future regulator investigations of City. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had been criticised for saying he would be “really concerned” if City’s Abu Dhabi owners left the club after the verdict. Downing Street later backtracked, insisting that no one was “above the rules”.
Burnham, who was mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to June 2026, has since published all of his dealings with City’s hierarchy. Kogan said there had been “absolutely no interference from anybody” since the regulator was created a year ago.
He added: “I won’t actually be prepared to run an organisation which is subject to that degree of interference.”
Club and manager remain confident of appeal
City manager Enzo Maresca said last week that he “completely trusts” the club and believes it will win its appeal.
