UEFA chief stands by 'guilty' Man City FFP verdict as Nottingham Forest await hearing outcome

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has doubled down on his belief that the European football governing body was right to investigate, charge and punish Manchester City for breaches of financial rules in the past.

City were found guilty of breaking Financial Fair Play regulations in 2018 and were thrown out of the Champions League with a two-year ban. But the decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following an appeal.

The UEFA president’s viewpoint has been shared at a time when City and the rest of the Premier League are facing increased scrutiny following punishments handed out to Nottingham Forest and Everton for breaches of their own Profitability and Sustainability rules (PSRs).

Everton have already been docked 10 points by the Premier League for a solitary charge last year, leading to suggestions that current champions City could face much graver consequences when they eventually face their own FFP hearing. Despite being charged with 115 breaches of regulations themselves in 2023, City are yet to learn the outcome from their own case.

Forest, who were given 14 days to reply to their recent charge, are likely to learn their fate in April. Until then, the club is living with the threat of receiving a critical points deduction hanging over them, which could result in relegation from the top flight.

The sheer scale of the number of charges levelled at City, compared to the single charge Everton have already been punished for, means that the cases are very different. But the outcome of City’s ongoing saga could still have a direct impact on the fortunes of Forest, whether the City Ground club are themselves punished for an FFP breach or not.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side find themselves in the midst of a relegation dogfight, four points above the drop zone. A points deduction would plunge Forest into perilous danger, but if Pep Guardiola’s team were to fall foul of any immediate punishment as a result of the charges they face, it could prove to be a saving grace for Forest.

By way of an example, if Forest were to finish 18th in the table – resulting in relegation to the Championship – but City were also relegated as a result of their 115 FFP charges, the league could see a situation where the current champions replace the team that finishes 18th as one of the three clubs demoted from the Premier League.

Such a scenario may never come to pass but the range of possible outcomes means the future destiny of Nottingham Forest could have many twists and turns before the season concludes.

City could face a wide range of outcomes including being docked points, stripped of titles and even relegation but it is not clear whether any of these sanctions are likely to materialise. However, there has never been a firmer focus on club finances than there is now from both the Premier League and UEFA and Ceferin has reaffirmed his view that the action that was previously taken against the current Premier League champions was justified.

“We know we were right,” he said in an interview with the Telegraph. “We wouldn’t decide if we didn’t think we were right. As a trial lawyer for 25 years, I know that, sometimes, you win a case that you are sure you will lose. And, sometimes, you lose a case when you’re sure. You just simply have to respect in a serious democracy the decision of the court.

“I don’t want to speak about the case in England. But I trust that the decision of our independent body was correct. I didn’t enter into this decision.”

City believe the appeal ruling by the CAS exonerated the club from any wrongdoing and also irrefutably deny the current allegations made by the Premier League. But with Everton having already seen their league points tally slashed this season, frustration around the time it is taking to deal with the 115 charges City face is growing, something that has been acknowledged by Ceferin.

“They want to know what’s going on and what are the consequences but I don’t want to enter into this concrete process because I don’t know what the Premier League is dealing with,” he said. “I really don’t want to criticise, or something like that. It wouldn’t be fair.”

Premier League CEO Richard Masters has told a Parliamentary Select Committee that a date has been set for Manchester City’s hearing but did not disclose when it would take place. He said: “I can [understand fans’ frustration] but they are very different charges [for Everton, when compared to Manchester City].

“When any club, the current champions or otherwise, found themselves in breach for 2022/23 then they would be in exactly the same position as Everton and Nottingham Forest. The volume and character of the charges against Manchester City, which I cannot talk about, are being heard in a completely different environment.

“There is a date set for that proceeding, I can’t tell you when that is but it is progressing. A date has been set.”

Until the hearing gets underway, clubs like Nottingham Forest must sit tight and wait to see if the eventual outcome will have any impact on their future.