This Manchester City story has taken another interesting turn.
After reports emerged that an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 Premier League financial charges brought against them, there was naturally an explosion of reaction.
The Athletic broke the news.
Within minutes, football supporters everywhere were talking about it.
But one thing caught my attention.
Sky Sports News appeared to hold off reporting the leaked verdict until it had also reported Manchester City’s response.
And, honestly, I think that tells us something about just how sensitive this whole situation is.
Sky Didn’t Just Jump On The Leak
There is a huge difference between reporting a leaked verdict and reporting an officially published decision.
At the moment, the verdict has been reported by The Athletic, but the wider process remains ongoing.
Manchester City have also stressed that significant elements of the process still have to be completed and that matters remain subject to confidentiality. The club’s position remains that it denies the allegations.
So when you have a story of this magnitude, involving more than 100 alleged financial breaches and potentially enormous consequences for English football, there are obvious reasons for broadcasters to be extremely careful.
And Sky Sports News clearly wasn’t going to treat the initial leak as the end of the story.
Then Came City’s Response
When City responded, the picture became slightly clearer.
The club said:
“The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.”
City also said its position remained consistent with the statement it issued when the charges were first announced in February 2023.
That’s important.
Because regardless of what has been reported about the independent commission’s findings, Manchester City are expected to appeal.
And that means today’s development isn’t necessarily the final word.
Far from it.
But 114 Out Of 115 Is Still Extraordinary
Let’s not lose sight of the sheer scale of what has been reported.
The Athletic’s report says City were found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges.
One charge was dismissed.
The charges relate to alleged financial breaches covering the period from 2009 to 2018, and City have consistently denied wrongdoing.
That’s why this story has immediately become one of the biggest football stories in years.
But the sanctions have not been decided.
And until the appeal process has been completed, there is no point pretending that we know exactly what the ultimate consequences will be.
Maybe This Explains Sky’s Caution
I’m not suggesting Sky Sports News deliberately waited because they were protecting Manchester City.
We simply don’t know that.
But the timing was certainly noticeable.
Rather than immediately treating the leaked report as the complete story, Sky’s coverage came once there was a response from the club.
And when you’re dealing with an independent legal process that has already taken years, accuracy matters enormously.
Sky themselves have previously explained that the independent commission controls the process and its timings, with the Premier League having no influence over when the verdict is reached or published.
That gives you some idea of how complicated and sensitive this case has become.
Liverpool Fans Will Be Watching Closely
Of course, as a Liverpool supporter, I’m interested in what happens next.
How could you not be?
Liverpool have spent years competing with Manchester City at the very top of English football.
We’ve seen City accumulate trophies.
We’ve seen Liverpool finish runners-up despite producing incredible seasons.
And now we have an independent commission reportedly finding City guilty of virtually all the charges brought against them.
But I’m not going to start rewriting Premier League history myself.
That’s not where we are yet.
There is an appeal to come.
There are sanctions still to be decided.
And there is clearly much more of this process still to unfold.
The Story Isn’t Over
That’s probably the biggest thing to take from today.
The headline is enormous.
Manchester City reportedly found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges.
But this isn’t the final chapter.
City are expected to appeal, and the club has already made clear that it considers the process ongoing.
Which brings me back to Sky Sports News.
I found it quite telling that they didn’t simply run with the leaked verdict and leave it there.
They waited until they had the club’s response too.
Whether you agree with that approach or not, it shows just how extraordinary this story has become.
For years we’ve been told to wait.
Now we’ve finally got a verdict from the independent commission — but we’re still waiting for the full story.
And I suspect we’re going to be waiting a while longer yet.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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