Manchester City are still waiting. A whole year has passed since the final words were spoken behind closed doors, since lawyers packed their documents and left the room, since English football held its breath for what many believed would be the biggest verdict the sport had ever seen. And yet, nothing has happened. No announcement. No decision. No punishment. No clearing of names. Just silence. A heavy, uncomfortable silence that keeps growing louder with every passing week.
Back in February 2023, English football shook when the Premier League formally accused Manchester City of 115 separate breaches of financial rules. It was not a normal charge. It was not one or two mistakes. It was not a simple paperwork issue. It was a number so large it instantly became history. One hundred and fifteen charges. Never before had a club in England faced anything close to that. From that moment, City were placed under a cloud that has refused to move.
The charges covered years. Almost a decade. From 2009 through to 2018, the Premier League claimed that Manchester City failed to provide accurate and truthful financial information. They accused the club of hiding the true costs of player wages, manager payments, and sponsorship income. They also accused City of failing to cooperate with investigations over several years, suggesting resistance, delay, and obstruction. On top of that came allegations of breaching profitability and sustainability rules, as well as failing to follow UEFA regulations. Each charge added weight. Each line added pressure. Each word increased the sense that something massive was unfolding.
Manchester City immediately denied everything. Strongly. Completely. They said the accusations were wrong. They said the evidence would prove their innocence. They welcomed an independent commission to review everything fairly and impartially. Publicly, City showed confidence. Privately, the football world wondered how deep this battle would go.
The private hearing eventually began in September 2024. No cameras. No live updates. No daily headlines. Just lawyers, documents, numbers, emails, testimonies, and arguments locked away from public view. It ran for months. September. October. November. December. Finally, as the year ended, closing arguments were made. Both sides finished speaking. The panel of three independent experts were given the responsibility of deciding the most important case English football has ever known. And then everyone waited.
At first, the wait felt normal. These things take time, people said. This is complex, they said. There are thousands of documents, they said. Fair enough. Weeks passed. Then months. Rumours began to spread. One day people said the verdict was coming soon. Another day they said City were about to be punished heavily. Then someone else claimed City would walk free. Every journalist had a source. Every fan had an opinion. Social media became a battlefield. But officially, nothing happened.Now, a full year later, there is still no verdict.
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The case has dragged into the 2025/26 season, and Manchester City are still operating as if nothing is wrong. They continue to buy players. They continue to sign sponsors. They continue to grow. The Etihad Stadium is expanding to 60,000 seats. Revenue has climbed to a staggering £694.1 million. Pep Guardiola signed a new contract. Erling Haaland signed a new contract. The club looks stable, confident, and powerful.
To rivals, this feels wrong. To critics, it feels unfair. To supporters, it feels like proof that City know something others don’t. How can a club facing 115 charges behave like this? How can there be no decision? How can the biggest case in football history just sit in silence?
In their latest financial report for the 2024/25 season, Manchester City made a brief but important reference to the charges. The wording was calm. Measured. Almost boring. But the meaning was massive. The club confirmed that, as of the date of publication, the independent commission was still reviewing the case. No decision had been delivered. Nothing had been communicated.
That single sentence confirmed what many suspected. The verdict had still not reached the club. Not officially. Not privately. Not even quietly.
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson has been one of the most vocal voices on this issue. He knows the system. He understands football finance. And even he seems stunned by the delay. According to him, this situation is now beyond strange. It is, in his words, inexplicable.
Borson explained that City’s statement strongly suggests they had received no decision by the time their accounts were published. He pointed out that whether the date referred to the signing of the accounts in October or their publication later in the year, the outcome was the same. No verdict. Nothing delivered. No answers.
He believes the case is now almost certain to move into 2026. Christmas has arrived. Media attention is different. Releasing a decision now would create chaos. From a public relations point of view, it would be madness. From a legal perspective, it feels unlikely. And so, once again, football is told to wait.
The most shocking part is not just the delay itself. It is the length of it. Over a year to produce a private arbitration decision of this scale is almost unheard of. This is not a criminal trial with endless appeals. This is a football commission. And yet, here we are, still stuck in limbo.
Neither Manchester City nor the Premier League are officially blamed for the delay. The responsibility lies entirely with the independent commission. They alone hold the power. They alone decide the future. And they are taking their time.
Meanwhile, the sport continues. Matches are played. Titles are chased. Manchester City sit just two points behind Arsenal after 17 games. They look strong. Focused. Dangerous. Pep Guardiola speaks calmly in press conferences. He refuses to be drawn into speculation. Players avoid questions. The club projects calm. But under the surface, the tension never disappears.
Because when the verdict finally arrives, it will change everything. If City are found guilty, punishments could be severe. Points deductions. Heavy fines. Transfer bans. Even relegation has been whispered in dark corners. If they are cleared, then the Premier League faces humiliation on a historic scale. Years of investigation. Millions spent. Endless headlines. All for nothing.
This is why the delay matters. Every day without a decision damages trust. Fans feel confused. Rival clubs feel angry. The league feels exposed. Football feels uncertain.
For Manchester City supporters, the wait is torture. They believe their club is innocent. They believe the evidence will clear them. But they also know that one document, one interpretation, one ruling could destroy years of success. Every trophy feels fragile. Every celebration feels temporary. The shadow never leaves.
For rival fans, the frustration is unbearable. They feel cheated. They feel powerless. They watch City grow richer and stronger while the case drags on endlessly. To them, justice delayed feels like justice denied.
And for football itself, the silence is damaging. This was supposed to be a defining moment. A test of integrity. A chance to show that rules matter, even for the richest and most powerful. Instead, the game is stuck waiting for an answer that refuses to come.
As the calendar turns toward 2026, the question grows louder. How much longer can this go on? How long can the biggest case in English football history remain unresolved? How long can everyone pretend that this silence is normal?
Manchester City will continue playing. They will continue winning. They will continue signing players and sponsors. Pep Guardiola will continue planning. Erling Haaland will continue scoring. The Premier League will continue selling its global product.
But somewhere, behind closed doors, three people hold a decision that could rewrite history. And until they speak, English football remains frozen in uncertainty, waiting for a verdict that refuses to arrive.
