MANCHESTER, England (AFP) — A long-awaited hearing into 115 cha
rges levelled against Manchester City is set to begin on Monday with potentially huge ramifications for the Premier League champions.

Sky Sports reported on Thursday that the independent commission in charge of the case will begin next week.

City stand accused of 80 breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018, plus a further 35 of failing to cooperate with a Premier League investigation.

Since a 2008 takeover from Sheikh Mansour, a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family, City have been transformed into the dominant force in English football.

They have won eight of the last 13 Premier League titles, including a record four consecutive league crowns in the past four seasons.

City also lifted the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2023.

Those achievements have been clouded in controversy, with opposing fans often making reference to the charges City face.

However, the club has always protested its innocence and vowed to clear its name.

“Of course, it’s frustrating. I think the reference is always frustrating,” City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said earlier this year.

“I can feel, of course, for our fan base, for everyone associated with the club, to have these charges constantly referenced.”

The Premier League brought the charges in February 2023 but there has been a lengthy wait for the case to proceed before an independent commission.

If found guilty on some or all of the charges, City face a severe points deduction and possibly even expulsion from the Premier League.

Everton and Nottingham Forest suffered points deductions last season for breaches of the league’s profit and sustainability rules.

City stand accused of failing to provide accurate financial information between 2009 and 2018, including revenue from sponsors and salary details of managers and players.

Other charges relate to breaches of both UEFA and the Premier League’s financial sustainability regulations.

The hearing is set to last at least two months, with a decision not expected until 2025.

Even if City are found guilty of some or all of the charges by the commission, the club would likely appeal that decision, which would further delay the imposition of any sanctions.