Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak has voiced his 'frustration' over persistent reminders of the 115 Premier League charges lodged against them and has demanded for the club to be "judged by the facts and not by claims and counterclaims".
The Citizens have dominated English football under manager Pep Guardiola, winning six of the last seven Premier League titles, and they became the first team in English top-flight history to win four successive titles when they beat West Ham United 3-1 on the final day of the 2023-24 season last month.
However, many believe that Man City's success is being tarnished by the Premier League's 115 charges against them for alleged breaches of financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18 - accusations the club have emphatically denied.
Man City, who were charged by the Premier League 16 months ago, are alleged to have failed to provide accurate financial information relating to sponsorship income, revenue and operating costs, while they have also been accused of offering a secret contract to one of their managers during this period who was receiving more money than officially stated.
In addition, the reigning Premier League champions have been accused of failing to comply with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules over a five-year period and are said to have not fully co-operated with the Premier League's investigation.
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Al-Mubarak 'frustrated' with 115 repetition
Should Man City be found guilty by an independent commission, heavy fines, points deductions or Premier League expulsion have been suggested as possible punishments.
Twelve months ago, City chairman Al Mubarak insisted that the Citizens are a "very well-run" club and vowed to reveal his "blunt" and "strong views" on the Premier League charges against the club once the verdict has been published.
Man City's hearing into their 115 charges is allegedly set to take place in November and is expected to last for six weeks.
Al Mubarak has publicly expressed his frustration for both the delay of the hearing and how the club's on-pitch achievements continue to be accompanied with the allegations lodged against them.
Speaking to the club's official website as part of an end-of-season review, Al Mubarak said: "Of course, it's frustrating. I think the referencing is always frustrating. Having it being talked about the way it's being talked about.
"I can feel for our fanbase, and everyone associated with the club, to have these charges constantly referenced. I think we as a club have to respect that there is a process that we have to go through, and we're going through it.
"It's taking longer than what anyone hoped for, but it is what it is, and I've always repeated, let's be judged by the facts and not by claims and counterclaims."
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Al-Mubarak predicting global changes to transfer market
Al-Mubarak's in-house interview took place last Saturday prior to The Times reporting on Tuesday that Man City had launched an unprecedented legal action against the Premier League challenging the validity of their Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules.
A two-week private arbitration hearing surrounding APTs - introduced in 2021 and designed to maintain competitiveness and determine whether sponsorship deals are financially acceptable - is scheduled to start on next Monday.
Asked about his views on the regulatory landscape clubs across Europe face and whether they will have an impact on this summer's transfer market, Al-Mubarak said: "The Premier League got to where it is today by being the most competitive league, so I hope there is a bit more sensibility in regulating. A balanced approach is good from all the leagues.
"There have been a lot of restrictions put in place on swaps and loans, so even that is now much more restricted. That is going to be reflected, I believe, this summer.
"This is good for all the leagues, be it in England or the rest of Europe. I think you won't see the same level (of transfer spending) as we've seen in the past few years because of the level of regulations that have come into place over the last 12 months."
Meanwhile, Al-Mubarak has provided the latest update on the future of manager Guardiola, who has just one year remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
Oliver Thomas
