Manchester City insist they are innocent as Premier League rivals push for verdict to be published

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano defended the club's innocence on Monday before the European Football Clubs board and said the club will fight to overturn a ruling that found it guilty of most of the Premier League's 115 financial charges. His intervention, which surprised several of those present, came as a group of English clubs demanded that the verdict be published immediately to end the information vacuum that has surrounded the case since Friday.

• Soriano asked to speak at the start of the EFC meeting to make clear that City disagree with the ruling.
• The Spanish executive is confident of winning the legal battle, though he admitted a final resolution could still take considerably longer.
• Several Premier League clubs are pushing for the verdict to be published as soon as possible and describe the current situation as a void.
• Neither Manchester City nor the Premier League have publicly confirmed the content of the verdict or given any timeline for its publication.

Soriano breaks his silence in front of Europe's top clubs

Soriano's intervention was not on the agenda of the European Football Clubs board meeting held on Monday. The City executive asked for the floor at the start of the session to make a brief statement, a move that took those present by surprise and marked the club's first direct reaction since the sense of the independent commission's ruling became known.

Among the board members were Jean-Claude Blanc, head of Ineos Sport and chief of international football relations at Manchester United, and Everton owner Dan Friedkin, two of City's direct rivals in the Premier League. Their presence added extra tension to what was already a delicate moment for the club.

Manchester City confident they can overturn the commission's ruling

Soriano told the board he disagreed with the decision of the independent tribunal, which found the club guilty of the vast majority of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League. The Spanish executive insisted that Manchester City are convinced they will eventually win the battle to clear their name, a position the club has maintained since the financial misconduct scandal first erupted.

He also reminded those present that eight years have passed since the first allegations of financial misconduct were made against the club. In his address, he noted that it could take considerably more time to reach a definitive conclusion, suggesting a long and complex legal process lies ahead.

Premier League clubs frustrated by the lack of clear timelines

The delay in publishing the verdict is causing growing frustration among the other Premier League clubs. Executives received a broad outline of the independent commission's findings last Thursday, but there has been no official update since then and the full ruling has still not been released.

All we have is a void, and it would be better for everyone if it was filled as soon as possible.

That was the sentiment expressed by a source from one of the clubs involved, summing up the uncertainty dominating the competition. The lack of information about the details of the case and the likely timeframe for a resolution leaves teams in an awkward position, unsure of what to expect in the short term.

Premier League remains silent as City avoid confirming the verdict

Unlike his appearance at the EFC meeting, Soriano declined to comment to reporters on his way out. Manchester City have also not issued any official statement acknowledging or rebutting the commission's verdict, despite the news having circulated since Friday.

The Premier League, for its part, has not commented or offered any indication of when the judgment will be published. The silence from both sides prolongs a situation that rivals consider unsustainable and threatens to overshadow the final stretch of the season.

What is at stake for Manchester City and the Premier League

The case against Manchester City is the largest disciplinary process in Premier League history. The 115 charges cover alleged breaches of financial rules across several seasons, a period in which the club established itself as the dominant force in English football with multiple league titles.

A final ruling against City could carry severe sanctions, from points deductions to expulsion from the competition, although the appeals process promises to be lengthy. For the other clubs, resolving the case is essential to preserving the credibility of the league's financial control system.