The Premier League's £10m fine for Chelsea over secret payments has been described as a 'brilliant result' for the club, and football finance experts say it could influence the outcome of Manchester City's 115 charges.
Chelsea were fined for making £47m of off-the-books payments to third parties and unregistered agents between 2011 and 2018. The club's new ownership self-reported the offences, avoiding a points deduction despite the seriousness of the breaches.
Stefan Borson, a football finance expert at law firm McCarthy Denning, said the case 'potentially gives the Premier League a little bit of a problem' in future sanctioning. Kieran Maguire, another football finance expert, told The i Paper that City would likely be 'pleased with this verdict' given the similar nature of some allegations.
Manchester City have consistently denied wrongdoing over the 115 charges relating to financial fair play breaches. An independent commission concluded 15 months ago, but no verdict is expected before the end of the current season.
Borson noted that City cannot argue for 'exceptional cooperation mitigation' as Chelsea did, but added that the Chelsea case could help City argue that a fine, rather than a points deduction, should be the starting point if only some allegations are proven.
Premier League sources have cautioned against direct comparisons, saying Chelsea's case involved admitted wrongdoing and cooperation, whereas City's case is an independent commission with contested charges. Nevertheless, the Chelsea verdict has given fresh scrutiny to the potential sanctions facing City.
