Manchester City‘s former chairman David Bernstein says his old club’s transfer spending while their 115 charges case continues in silence ‘makes a mockery’ of the Premier League‘s regulation of the top division.
Bernstein, who was City chairman from 1998 until 2003 and served as Football Association chair 2011-13, today attacked the lack of an outcome and questioned the Premier League’s handling of the case.
City, who spent £440million in the transfer window and equalled the British transfer record signing £125m Enzo Fernandez, kicked off this season still without resolution to their infamous financial charges case.
City were charged with 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules in February 2023 and a 12-week hearing concluded in December 2024 – but an independent commission is still yet to publish its ruling on the ‘hugely complex case’.
The club strenuously deny the allegations. The verdict could see City exonerated or facing historic penalties.
Now Bernstein, 83, has joined the growing chorus of criticism of the delays – after Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admitted a verdict ‘has taken longer than expected’.
Erling Haaland celebrates taking Manchester City to the top of the Premier League again
This is the fourth season to begin under the cloud of the City 115 charges announcement.
Writing in the Sunday Times, Bernstein said: ‘The fact they have done this (transfer spend) against the background of the 115 Premier League charges is extraordinary and makes a mockery of regulation in England’s top division, supposedly the best-run league in the world.
‘Why the league decided to prosecute all 115 alleged offences is a mystery to me. Surely common sense (often in short supply) would point to simplifying the process by taking a handful of the bigger, clearer issues and pursuing these as specimen cases.
‘Justice delayed is justice denied, and the longer this process is drawn out, the more the resulting implications and challenges are compounded.’
It was a bumper summer for City after the exit of long-serving manager Pep Guardiola. They also signed Elliot Anderson (£116m), Ayyoub Bouaddi (£86m), Iliman Ndiaye (£60m), Allan and Geronimo Rulli.
Masters has claimed that City’s ongoing 115 charges saga is ‘not necessarily top of the list’ when it comes to his conversations with clubs.
David Bernstein was City chairman from 1998 until 2003 and served as FA chair 2011-13
Four Premier League sides have reserved the right to seek compensation should City be found guilty and it would appear that much of football is desperate for an outcome.
However, Masters suggested that the noise in boardrooms up and down the country is not as loud as one might imagine.
‘I obviously speak to clubs all the time,’ he said last month. ‘It’s not necessarily a topic of conversation that is top of the list. (There are) Lots of other things to talk about and do. The Premier League moves on. It’s starting (again) on Friday evening.’
Masters has previously admitted to being frustrated by the length of time the independent panel is taking to return its verdict.
‘The process is the process,’ he said. ‘It will resolve itself. But as you know, I literally can’t say a thing about it. There’s only one available option, which is to allow the process to reach its natural conclusion. I can’t talk about the substance of the case. I can’t talk about the timing of the case. Our rules are very clear about that. I understand that people are frustrated but it will take as long as it takes.’
The Premier League’s latest domestic broadcast deal has seen the amount paid per game fall by around £2.5m.
Some have wondered if that is an indicator that fans are getting fed up of various litigations, with Nottingham Forest, Everton and Leicester City docked points in recent times.
But when asked if the perceived lenient penalty, a £10m fine handed to Chelsea for repeated backhanders, suggested there was a desire to move on from docking points, Masters denied that was the case.
‘I don’t think litigation and broadcast deals are necessarily associated,’ he said. ‘I do think litigation is to be avoided.
‘It should be a last resort within a league system or generally. I think that is generally the attitude that is taken by stakeholders in the game. Litigation is a last resort.’
City are top of the Premier League, having taken maximum points from their first three matches under the guidance of Enzo Maresca – including a 1-0 victory over promoted Coventry City on Saturday.
