Richard Masters has said the verdict in the Man City financial charges case has taken longer than expected, while stressing that the Premier League must keep the process confidential until a decision is ready.
The Premier League chief executive made the comments during the launch event for the 2026-2027 season, with the long-running case still unresolved nearly two years after hearings were held before an independent three-member commission from September to December of 2024.
Masters on the delay
“There is nothing I can add at the present time,” Masters said, underlining that the Premier League is not prepared to discuss the detail of the case while the commission continues its work. He added that the league’s rules are “entirely clear on this matter” and that everything must remain confidential until the decision can be announced with full clarity.
Masters also said he could not provide “any updates regarding the timing or the progress of the procedures,” and described the only available route as letting the legal process take its natural course. That language reflects the Premier League’s position throughout a case that has now been ongoing for three years.
What the case is about
The charges concern alleged breaches of financial fair play rules, alongside alleged failures to provide accurate financial information and to cooperate with investigations. The Premier League says the allegations cover nine seasons, from 2009 to 2018.
That scale helps explain why the case has carried such weight across the competition. Manchester City are one of the most successful clubs of the era, with three Premier League titles among the key trophies won during the period under scrutiny.
Why the timing matters
Masters said he fully understood the frustration around the delay, acknowledging that the matter has “indeed taken longer than expected”. He also said he had previously explained that the commission needed enough time and space to do its work.
He was asked whether the length of the process was a concern for the Premier League, and replied: “Of course not.” His point was that the league’s role is limited to bringing charges when sufficient evidence is available, before an independent commission established to determine the truth.
For now, that leaves the wider football world waiting. The hearings are over, the evidence has been examined, and the verdict is still to come. Until it does, the Premier League is sticking to confidentiality and Manchester City remain in limbo over one of the most significant regulatory cases in the modern game.
