The Premier League Manchester City case continues to draw attention as chief executive Richard Masters defends the league’s judicial process amid criticism over the slow handling of 115 financial rule breach charges against the club.
Independent Judiciary Handles Premier League Manchester City Case
Speaking at a Premier League season launch event in Liverpool, Masters explained that once charges are brought forward, the matter is handed over to an independent panel, which operates autonomously.
Independent Judiciary Handles Premier League Manchester City Case, they decide the outcome and we have no influence over it or its timing.”
Masters refrained from speculating on when a decision might be reached but acknowledged the frustration surrounding lengthy legal processes.
“My frustration is irrelevant really, I just have to wait. Legal processes rarely take less time than you anticipated. But we have to be patient,” he added.
Premier League International Plans Amid Manchester City Case
Masters also addressed speculation around staging Premier League matches abroad, following LaLiga’s plan for a game between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami. He confirmed the controversial “Game 39” concept of an extra competitive match hosted outside of Britain remains off the table.
“I think that match that’s been talked about, there’s a long road to go yet about whether that will actually happen,” Masters said.
“It hasn’t changed our view about matches abroad. We did look at the 39th game way back when with lots of controversy… Our objective at the time was how to grow the Premier League around the world. We’ve been able to do that through different means.”
Impact on Promoted Clubs During Premier League Manchester City Case
Masters responded to concerns over the competitiveness of newly promoted clubs, pointing to success stories like Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Fulham, who were promoted for the 2022-23 season and continue to perform well in the top-flight.
“It’s never going to be easy… The Premier League is becoming more competitive. The Championship is a fantastic division. We want it to be successful. We want there to be an influx of different clubs coming in and out. So it’s something we need to keep an eye on,” he said.
New Independent Football Regulator
Masters confirmed that the newly established independent football regulator is expected to begin operations later this year.
“We are the first major football nation to be regulated in this way,” he said.
“The Premier League operates in a global environment. The regulator doesn’t start from the position that football is somehow broken in this country. All of the key indicators are really positive for the whole of the pyramid, for the England teams, men’s and women’s. The regulator should intervene only where absolutely necessary.”
The new Premier League season kicks off with defending champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth.
