Manchester City were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the league's financial rules over nine seasons from 2009 to 2018, as well as three out of four charges concerning failures to cooperate with the investigation, on Tuesday, September 29th.
On Friday, October 2nd, the club announced that they had lodged their appeal against the verdict the evening prior, and a day ahead of the deadline to do so.
But what happens next? When is the appeal hearing? And when can we expect a ruling on the matter? Below is everything you need to know!
What is the appeal process?
The appeal will be heard in private by an independent three-member appeal board appointed by the chair of the league's Judicial Panel. This board will review the original verdict, but will not rehear the case.
The board can dismiss the appeal, allow it, refer the case back to the league commission for further consideration or alter any sanctions imposed.
A decision by the appeal board is final and cannot be challenged further except in some limited circumstances.
The board's decision could involve handing down sanctions ranging from points deductions to huge fines, relegation or the stripping of titles won in the period concerned.
It should be noted that City could separately appeal against any sanctions handed down.
When is the hearing and how long is it?
The Premier League's new 'fast-track rules' state that an appeal hearing must be held within 12 weeks of an appeal being lodged.
Given the appeal was lodged on October 1st, that puts Christmas Eve (December 24th) as the deadline for a hearing, meaning we can expect the board to meet before that date.
The appeal can only last five days, and those five days can only be in one block.
City, however, are expected to argue that the fast-track rules were not in place when they were originally charged in February 2023, so this could push the date of the hearing out further.
When will a ruling be made?
As per the Premier League rules, a decision on the appeal is due within 30 days of the end of the hearing.
Assuming the hearing is not further delayed and is held before Christmas, the hearing should end before the end of December 2026.
That means a ruling on the matter should be made before the end of January 2027, at the latest, assuming the fast-track rules are upheld.
Manchester City's financial scandal
Manchester City were found guilty by the Premier League on September 29th of all charges relating to serious breaches of the league's financial rules over nine seasons from 2009 to 2018, as well as the majority of charges concerning their failure to co-operate with the probe.
City were originally charged in February 2023 following a four-year investigation into the breaches. The club has consistently denied any wrongdoing and formally appealed on October 1st.