Manchester City face a potential £50m bill for the Premier League’s legal costs after being found guilty of virtually all charges in the eight-year investigation.
The Guardian reports that lawyers predict the Premier League’s costs alone have exceeded £70m. Under typical legal settlements, a winning party recovers around 70% of their costs from the loser, which could leave City paying close to £50m once the independent commission rules on the compensation figure.
The panel determined on Tuesday that City had artificially inflated their income by £900m over nine years through “sham” contracts designed to comply with spending rules. Manchester City employed Lord Pannick KC, while the Premier League was represented by Adam Smith KC, one of the country’s leading sports lawyers.
City maintain their innocence and intend to appeal, describing the ruling as a “conspiracy theory” and containing “clear material errors”. The commission will consider whether the Premier League’s legal spending was proportionate: Everton successfully argued similar costs were excessive in 2024 and saw their bill reduced from £4.9m to £1.7m.
Sources
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