New Twist: One of the Most Serious Charges Against Man City Not Proven

Chaos has erupted on the British Isles over the past few days, following Friday afternoon's report from the authoritative publication "The Athletic" that Manchester City had been found guilty on 114 of 115 charges. The most serious accusations included breaches of financial fair play regulations, as well as obstruction of investigations and withholding documents. However, the "Financial Times" has now surprisingly reported that the single charge on which the "Citizens" were not found guilty was one of the most significant, though no further details were specified. The media outlet adds that this particular development is what makes the Etihad bosses confident they still have strong grounds to succeed in their appeal and ultimately find enough loopholes in the accusations to have them completely overturned.

Manchester City achieved a similar feat several years ago when UEFA imposed heavy financial sanctions on the club and banned them from European competitions for two seasons. However, after an appeal, all sanctions were lifted. Currently, the dominant force in English football over the past decade is relying on the very same legal team that successfully exonerated the club back then.

The "Financial Times" further reports that potential penalties are yet to be announced, after which the "Citizens" will appeal to a new independent body. Should they fail there, they intend to take the case to the High Court in England, attempting to argue that all processes and appeals were conducted by unauthorized bodies lacking the jurisdiction to perform such actions. This strategy aims to undermine the legitimacy of the entire process. City made similar attempts during the investigation itself, but they were unsuccessful at that time.

It remains unclear when the Premier League will issue an official statement regarding the case and when the penalty, which will trigger all subsequent procedures, will be announced. According to most publications on the Island, it is entirely possible that the entire process could drag on for another one to two years before any real disciplinary consequences are imposed on the "Citizens."