Judgement Day For Manchester City's Golden Era As Long-Awaited Hearing Begins

Manchester City have been an unstoppable force in English football of late, but now face the challenge of clearing the club's name against accusations their dominance is built on foundations of financial impropriety. Six years after a Premier League investigation began and 19 months on from 115 charges being levelled against the English champions, a hearing that will decide City's fate begins on Monday. An independent panel is expected to hear evidence for at least two months and with a verdict unlikely until well into 2025 for what has been dubbed British sport's "trial of the century."

AFP Sport looks at what City are accused of and the massive stakes at play for English football.

What are City accused of?

Since a 2008 takeover from Sheikh Mansour, a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family, City have been transformed from also-rans into the Premier League's dominant force.

Eight of the club's 10 league titles have come in the last 13 seasons, plus a first and only Champions League in 2023.

However, they stand accused of bending financial rules to their will while on the rise to their current status.

Of the 115 charges, 80 are for breaches of the regulations between 2009 and 2018, while a further 35 relate to failing to cooperate with the Premier League's investigation.

The root of suspicion comes from leaked documents published by German outlet Der Spiegel back in 2018.

Emails purportedly sent between top City executives showed the club had inflated sponsorship revenue from Abu Dhabi state-controlled airline Etihad and telecoms firm Etisalat by disguising direct investment from Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group as income.

Other documents claimed to show off-the-books payments to then manager Roberto Mancini