Premier League clubs 'frustrated' by Man City secrecy as hearing begins

Manchester City’s Premier League rivals are reportedly growing frustrated with the secrecy surrounding the defending champions’ trial, related to 115 alleged rule breaches, which began on Monday.

The hearing is confidential and held in private in front of an unnamed three-person commission, in accordance with the league’s rulebook, but The Telegraph claims that other clubs are lamenting the lack of published information.

City deny all charges brought in front of an independent commission, which is expected to last approximately 10 weeks, with an outcome possible before the end of the season.

But the only details shared with the public are a basic list of the rules and seasons of each alleged breach, with the location of the hearing - now discovered to be in London - also previously kept hidden.

Fans are not the only ones in the dark surrounding the case, as fellow Premier League clubs are denied any further updates. Judgments during the hearing could be shared when deemed appropriate, but there is no expectation that they will arrive before the final conclusion.

“We know the bill at the end – but not much else,” said one club insider, referring to the legal costs accrued by both parties, though City’s can be deducted from commercial funds and TV money.

There is no guarantee that a transcript from proceedings will be released either.

While one lawyer, who has previously acted for an English top-flight club, said: "Justice doesn't just need to be done – it needs to be seen to be done.

"There is no reason, in principle, why it is not being held in public. It would ensure it is covered accurately in the media and that the actual detail of any case – what exactly has been alleged and how it is being defended – is picked over and known to the fans.

"That in itself acts as a control over clubs and owners – who generally care very much about their image – to abide by the rules but is also a protection to help ensure a fair hearing."

A 2021 High Court ruling regarding the Premier League’s jurisdiction to handle City’s case previously labelled it “a matter of legitimate public concern” and was surprised at the lack of progress that had been made on an investigation which began in 2018.

Nick De Marco, the lawyer who argued on behalf of Leicester that their alleged rule breach fell outside of the Premier League’s jurisdiction and won, has been among the names to call for “greater transparency, fairness and therefore publicity”.

“Speaking to other sports lawyers recently about when we might finally find out the decisions in the Manchester City/Premier League disputes [or even who sits on the tribunals], and the impact of public judicial review challenges to decisions of the Independent Football Regulator, if and when it comes in, I sense a growing consent… that we should, and we shall, move further towards public hearings in sport in the next few years,” he added.