{
  "id": 7781205,
  "title": "Man City case guilty of ‘incredible delay’ on two-year anniversary of hearing, says barrister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/man-city-case-guilty-of-incredible-delay-on-two-year-anniversary-of",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-16T12:11:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/man-city-case-guilty-incredible-121142970.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Leading sports barrister Nick De Marco has expressed concern over the \"incredible delay\" in reaching an outcome in the Manchester City legal case on the two-year anniversary of the independent commission hearing. The charges, first laid in February 2023, stem from alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, with the investigation beginning in 2018. Despite the lengthy delay, City firmly denies any wrongdoing. De Marco, known for his work on high-profile football cases, including Leicester's dispute with the Premier League, tweeted on Wednesday: \"It is a most incredible delay. So much for those who argue that one of the advantages of sports arbitration is it is speedier and more efficient than using the courts.....\" Premier League chief executive Richard Masters acknowledged that the City case had taken longer than anticipated, but stated that it was not a frequent topic of conversation when speaking to top-flight clubs. Masters emphasized that the league must allow the process to reach its natural conclusion, while also acknowledging the potential dangers of an unresolved case.",
  "summary": "Wednesday marks two years to the day since an independent commission hearing began to examine more than 100 charges laid against City",
  "key_points": [
    "Two-year delay in Manchester City legal case since 2023 charges",
    "Leading barrister Nick De Marco criticizes \"incredible delay\"",
    "Premier League chief acknowledges longer-than-expected timeline"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}