Manchester City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak says he is “frustrated” at the club’s on-pitch achievements being accompanied by repeated reminders of the 115 Premier League charges lodged against them.
Last month City became the first club in English football history to win the league title in four consecutive seasons.
But in autumn a Premier League disciplinary commission is set to hear the case against City for allegedly breaching its financial regulations, some of which date back to 2009.
City deny all the charges – but recently manager Pep Guardiola admitted “he did not know” if people liked his team.
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“Of course, it’s frustrating,” Al-Mubarak told City’s internal media in his annual end-of-season address. “The referencing is always frustrating.
“I feel for our fanbase and everyone associated with the club to have these charges constantly referenced.
“It’s taking longer than anyone hoped for but there is a process we have to go through. I’ve always repeated, let’s be judged by the facts and not by claims and counterclaims.”
BBC Sport understands Khaldoon gave the interview before stories emerged on Tuesday around City’s legal challenge to the Premier League’s commercial rules.
An arbitration hearing surrounding the legality of the league’s associated party transaction (APT) rules, which determine whether sponsorship deals are financially ‘fair’, has been set for 10-21 June.
Khaldoon was asked about the likely impact of financial regulations on this summer’s transfer window given different competitions have different rules. His answer was given without the knowledge City’s present stance would be made public.
“The Premier League got to where it is today by being the most competitive league,” he said. “So, I hope there is a bit more sensibility in regulating. A balanced approach is good from all the leagues.
“There have been a lot of restrictions put in place on swaps and loans, so even that is now much more restricted. That is going to be reflected, I believe, this summer.”
Sources: BBC Sport
