The outcome of the Premier League's charges against Manchester City is expected any time now, at least according to Pep Guardiola.
The City boss, ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, said last month that he expected the verdict on their 130 Premier League charges to be delivered in March.
Legal experts have suggested that City escaping punishment could lead to 'carnage' for the Premier League.
The Premier League's reputation is on the line in this Manchester City case
A three-person independent commission have pored over both sides of the case and are expected to publish their findings at great length.
The precise details of exactly what City have been charged with are shrouded in secrecy, making it hard to tell what the outcome is likely to be.
However, the potential implications are clear, and could be seismic whichever way the case goes.
There are multiple different possible outcomes, ranging from a complete exoneration for City to the club's expulsion from the Premier League - or anything in between, should some of the charges be proven but not others.
In an excellently detailed piece for the i Paper, one anonymous Premier League executive and a legal expert both fear the league's authority could be stretched to breaking point in the event they are unsuccessful in the pursuit of the reigning champions.
The unnamed executive said: “I don’t think the roof comes in straight away or anything, but it significantly weakens the Premier League’s hand on the rules. Would the whole financial fair play edifice be next?”
The head of football governance at investment consultants Lane, Clark & Peacock, Aaryaman Banerji, meanwhile pointed out that the Premier League has already suffered reputational damage from their failure in other cases they have pursued recently.
The Premier League was successful in pushing for points deductions for Nottingham Forest and Everton last season.
However, the league failed in its efforts to punish Leicester City for similar PSR infractions and while Manchester City claimed victory in a separate case around associated party transactions.
Another blow for the Premier League on these 130 charges against City could put chef executive Richard Masters in a difficult position.
Banerji told the i Paper: “The Premier League’s authority has been challenged in recent seasons, both domestically and internationally,” he says.
“In the 2023/24 season alone, the league spent £45m in legal fees against its own clubs. If Manchester City can claim victory, it would further undermine the Premier League.”
However, a victory for the Premier League may raise the intriguing prospect of City's Premier League rivals being asked to vote on whether or not the club should be expelled from the top flight.
At least 15 clubs would need to vote in favour of the measure - but it is possible the independent commission may sidestep that by slapping City with such a massive points deduction that it would effectively relegate them in due time.
Whichever way the verdict goes, the commission's findings will almost certainly not be the end of the matter, with appeals expected to be lodged in one direction or another - or possibly even both ways.
That could take yet more months to unravel and leave the final outcome still hanging in the air.
Neither the Premier League nor City have given any formal indication of what they expect the verdict to be, but City's heavy spending in the January transfer window is seen as reflective of their confidence at this stage.
