Manchester City appeals against charges of breaching Premier League financial rules

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Bae Jin-nam = Manchester City has appealed its conviction by an independent investigation committee on almost all charges raised in relation to violations of the financial regulations of the English professional soccer Premier League (EPL).

On the 2nd (local time), Manchester City announced, "We have submitted a comprehensive appeal against the judgment of the league's independent investigation committee regarding disciplinary action in the Premier League."

The club claimed, “Our firm position is that there are clear and serious errors in the judgment in many aspects, including law, principles, and facts,” and “We are not guilty of the charges raised by the league, and there is a large amount of irrefutable evidence that supports all of the club’s positions in relation to this incident.”

He then added, “We will continue to respect due process.”

The EPL also announced Man City's appeal on this day.

Previously, the EPL announced on the 29th of last month that the independent committee that investigated this matter found Manchester City guilty on all charges of violating the league's financial regulations over nine seasons from the 2009-2010 season to the 2017-2018 season and three out of four charges related to non-cooperation with the investigation.

The independent investigation committee determined that Manchester City entered into 'false' contracts with several commercial partners that distorted actual agreements, thereby inflating sales and artificially reducing costs. The amount inflated or reduced in this way is known to exceed 900 million pounds (about 1.6 trillion won).

The EPL Appeal Committee is comprised of three legal experts, one of whom serves as chair.

According to the BBC, the appeal hearing must be concluded within 12 weeks from the date it begins, and the decision must be communicated to the parties within 30 days thereafter.

Based on the 1st when Man City announced that it had submitted an appeal, the hearing must be completed by December 24th.

However, the BBC said this deadline may not apply if deemed necessary, so it is still unclear how long the actual process will take.