Manchester City appeals Premier League ruling that found club guilty of financial wrongdoing

The clock was running out. With the deadline set for this Friday, Manchester City filed its formal appeal against the verdict that found the club guilty of financial irregularities in the Premier League, a ruling that had arrived just a day earlier, on Thursday, at 7:00 p.m. local time (6:00 p.m. GMT). The English club confirmed the move itself on Friday.

And it didn't pull any punches. In a statement, City went straight to the point about what it thinks of the ruling it received:

The Club's position is clear in that the Premier League's written reasons contain significant errors of law, process, and fact, and that the decision is unsafe.Manchester City

The club went even further in its defense, insisting it doesn't just disagree with the ruling but considers itself entirely innocent of the charges:

The Club is innocent of the charges brought by the Premier League and welcomes the significant body of irrefutable evidence that supports its position in all respects. We will respect the remainder of the process and are restricted in what we can say until all proceedings have been completed.Manchester City

Now comes the waiting, and plenty of it. With the appeal now filed, a twelve-week window opens for it to be laid out in detail, and only after that period will a hearing take place, running five consecutive days within a thirty-day window, to determine the final outcome. Nothing about this is quick.

Nearly a decade under scrutiny

What exactly is at stake here? According to the Premier League's verdict and the independent commission that carried out the investigation, City inflated its budgets over nearly a decade, between 2009 and 2018, which ultimately amounted to a distortion of its accounts worth more than 1,000 million euros.

This isn't just any stretch of time for the club. During those years, the English side lifted eight trophies, including three Premier League titles. That's the backdrop to all of this: it isn't merely a matter of accounting paperwork, but a period in which City established itself as a powerhouse both in England and beyond.

The club, for its part, has made clear it won't offer further details while the process remains open. Patience is now the order of the day: between the appeal proceedings and the hearing that follows, this case will keep making headlines for several more months before any final resolution is reached.