Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland's opinion on Man City's 115 charges as 'verdict date set' - The Mirror

Manchester City are set to learn the outcome of their hearing regarding the 115 charges of alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules next month

Manchester City will discover the result of their hearing concerning 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules next month, Pep Guardiola has revealed.

The charges, which span from 2009 to 2018, have loomed over the club for two years and could potentially delegitimise City's success during that time. The Citizens have strongly contested the charges and presented their defence in a hearing that took place between September and December last year.

If found guilty, City could face harsh penalties, including a transfer ban, points deduction, and even relegation from the Premier League. Last month, the club splashed out over £180million on new players - their highest-ever January transfer window spend. This massive expenditure has sparked questions about the reasoning behind the spending.

Some speculate that the threat of an imminent transfer ban may have triggered the spree, while others suggest that the splurge indicates confidence in evading punishment. Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round match with Leyton Orient, Guardiola gave little indication of what the forthcoming verdict might be.

However, he did dismiss suggestions that City's January transfer activity was pre-emptive, explaining instead that the club had made funds available by selling wisely. "In one month, I think there will be a verdict and a sentence," the Spaniard said. "After that, we will see my opinion of what happened so far."

He added: "My words will not convince people. I know with this club it is always 'just about the money'. But in the past five years, we are the last among the top six for net spend. Even after what we have spent in this transfer window, we are away from Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham. Even from Liverpool. The only reason why is we sell a lot in the last seasons."

In the past three months, both Guardiola and Erling Haaland have committed their futures to City, with Guardiola extending his contract for another two years and Haaland signing on for a whopping nine-and-a-half-year term. This has led many to speculate that the club are confident in avoiding a severe punishment, but the duo have insisted otherwise.

"I said six months ago when all the clubs accused us of doing something wrong, what happens if I get relegated: I will be here," Guardiola said back in November. "We will come back to the Premier League [if that happens]. I knew it then, and I feel it now."

Speaking in January, Haaland expressed his trust in the club, emphasising that he has not bothered to conceive any backup plan should City face demotion. "I haven't thought of that or anything," he told reporters. "I'm confident that the club know what they're doing.

"In the end, I really don't think I should speak too much about this because I've [only] been here for two-and-a-half years. I'm confident that the club knows what they're doing. Of course it [contract length] is a bit unusual. It's not normal. That's also something I like. In the end it felt good for both parties. It was an easy choice."

The charges City are facing span issues such as inflating sponsorship deals, failing to provide accurate financial information and falling foul of the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability regulations (PSR). They're also accused of deliberately misleading authorities in an attempt to circumvent the league's financial rules.

Despite these serious allegations, Guardiola has maintained that City are innocent until proven guilty and should be treated accordingly. Earlier in the season, he distanced the case from himself and his players, stating: "I don't talk about it."

He added: "We are not lawyers. What is going to happen is with the independent panel and we will accept the sentence. I know there will be more rumours about the sentences that come up and we're going to see. But I've said everyone is innocent until guilt is proven, so we will see."

The legal battle escalated on Friday after City launched a fresh challenge over what they describe as 'unlawful' sponsorship rules. The club were defeated in November last year when the majority of top-flight sides voted in favour of changes to the Premier League's Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules following a legal challenge by City last summer.

APT regulations are designed to stop football clubs from receiving huge sums of money (considered above 'market value') from companies they're affiliated with. An independent tribunal earlier this year ruled that the existing rules were unlawful, but since then, the rules have been tightened due to amendments being voted through.

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