{"id":2202597,"date":"2026-10-16T16:17:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T13:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2202597"},"modified":"2026-10-16T16:17:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T13:17:01","slug":"man-city-charges-do-premier-league-club-have-grounds-for-their-appeal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2202597","title":{"rendered":"Man City charges: Do Premier League club have grounds for their appeal?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/branded_sport\/1200\/cpsprodpb\/ee2f\/live\/cb7000d0-b9aa-11f1-8a1a-0176f978c211.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"ssrcss-2fe4mx-ArticleWrapper e1nh2i2l0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div data-block=\"headline\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<header data-testid=\"headline\">\n<h1 id=\"main-heading\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"ssrcss-8zqj65-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">Do Manchester City have any grounds to win their appeal?<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"media\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\">\n<div data-chromatic=\"ignore\" class=\"ssrcss-dtyrnv-MediaPlayerWrapper e1h75hkw2\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1553su4-ErrorMessage eitf6465\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-h7lv7m-StyledInnerContainer eitf6464\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nbxsk2-TextContent eitf6461\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This video can not be played<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Figure caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">BBC Sport&#8217;s Dale Johnson, Dan Roan, Laura Scott and Sami Mokbel assess Manchester City&#8217;s position<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"byline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"single-byline\" class=\"ssrcss-sevsa1-ContributorContainer ee66fvo3\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dt4z-ContributorInfo ee66fvo0\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">By<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-nsjd43-TextContributorName epw3ir01\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1q14p6q-LinkWithChevronContainer epw3ir02\"><span class=\"byline-link-text\">Dale Johnson<\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dqo7s5-ContributorDetails ee66fvo2\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1m5444d-Text ee66fvo4\">Football issues correspondent<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"metadata\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"metadata\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2026-10-16T16:17:01.097Z\">2 hours ago<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b>Manchester City<\/b><b> face &#8220;substantial hurdles&#8221; if they are to have any chance of winning their appeal after being found guilty of breaking the Premier League&#8217;s financial rules, a leading lawyer has told BBC Sport.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of the Premier League&#8217;s financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, and creating &#8220;sham contracts&#8221; to inflate sponsorship deals by \u00a3830m.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The club have said they are &#8220;innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League&#8221; and they have &#8220;irrefutable evidence&#8221; the ruling &#8220;contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In their appeal, City will argue the payments were made by the United Arab Emirates government as a shareholder of the sponsors, while there are inconsistencies in the Commission&#8217;s judgement. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Therefore, City say the sponsorship amounts were legitimate and not topped up by the owners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">James Severn, Member of the London Solicitor Litigation Association (LSLA) and Partner at Penningtons Manches Cooper, told BBC Sport the appeal is &#8220;not simply an opportunity to invite a new panel&#8221; to get the verdict overturned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;City will need to identify a material error of law, principle or fact, or serious procedural unfairness, which materially affected the Commission&#8217;s decision,&#8221; Severn said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;The Appeal Board nevertheless has broad powers to allow or dismiss the appeal, vary the decision or make any other order it considers appropriate.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"City-must-prove-available-evidence-was-misinterpreted-\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">City must prove available evidence was misinterpreted <\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-8iyuej-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/944a\/live\/733de250-c978-11f1-a64c-550be9e3c66b.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/944a\/live\/733de250-c978-11f1-a64c-550be9e3c66b.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/944a\/live\/733de250-c978-11f1-a64c-550be9e3c66b.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/944a\/live\/733de250-c978-11f1-a64c-550be9e3c66b.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/944a\/live\/733de250-c978-11f1-a64c-550be9e3c66b.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/944a\/live\/733de250-c978-11f1-a64c-550be9e3c66b.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Manchester City have been sponsored by Etihad since May 2009<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Etihad Airways, one of City&#8217;s principle sponsors at the centre of the case, had previously stated that the Abu Dhabi government had not paid for its sponsorship of Manchester City.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">That came in court documents as part of a US investigation in New York in 2015.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">City will argue this does not have the full context of the situation and is not proof they have been inconsistent with evidence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The club are adamant government documents fully support their case &#8211; but, Severn said, if these were already available to the Commission they may not be much use in an appeal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;The bank statements, government records and contemporaneous payment documents could be powerful evidence if they establish a clear audit trail showing the disputed funds came from the Abu Dhabi government rather than the owners,&#8221; Severn added. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;However, if that evidence was already before the Commission, which nevertheless concluded that the arrangements were a sham, City will face an uphill struggle to demonstrate the finding was materially wrong.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Shortly before City&#8217;s appeal was confirmed, Etihad Airways issued a statement saying it had never been &#8220;given the opportunity by the Premier League to be represented, to provide relevant information, or to ensure the accuracy and fairness of information relied upon&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Severn said Etihad Airways&#8217; complaint &#8220;does not, of itself, establish procedural unfairness&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Etihad was not the respondent and is unlikely to have had an independent right to participate in the proceedings,&#8221; Severn said. &#8220;It is likely to have been open to either party to obtain and present such evidence to the Commission. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;If the Appeal Board is prepared to consider new evidence from Etihad, it is likely to carry greater weight if supported by contemporaneous documents.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"links\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-94r6ik-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">How much did Man City&#8217;s rule breaking cost your team?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">3 days ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Were any current Man City players signed during charges period?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">3 days ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Manchester City\u2019s inflatable banana craze<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"City-could-argue-a-material-factual-error\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">City could argue a &#8216;material factual error&#8217;<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">A key part of City&#8217;s defence will be that the Independent Commission relied too heavily on the emails obtained through the Football Leaks files.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;If City can demonstrate the Commission fundamentally misunderstood the emails, failed to consider their proper context or reached conclusions inconsistent with other contemporaneous documents, that could amount to a material factual error,&#8221; Severn added. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;City&#8217;s difficulty is that the Commission heard extensive witness and documentary evidence but nevertheless made serious findings of sham arrangements and disguised owner funding.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Kieran Maguire, professor of football finance at the University of Liverpool, told BBC Sport the commission found &#8220;the documents were retrofitted to fit the crime&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;The Commission must have concluded that the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses put up by Manchester City were poor,&#8221; Maguire said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;However, from a legal point of view, this is an area they could attack if Manchester City&#8217;s team can prove that the commission itself was a flawed construct in the sense that the members were Premier League picks rather than Manchester City&#8217;s, and therefore the deck was stacked against the club to begin with. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;But that seems remote.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Severn added that the retired senior judges and leading barristers, who sat on the Commission, have &#8220;spent their careers interpreting complicated facts, dealing with witnesses and applying relevant weight to evidence&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">While adding that it would be &#8220;impossible to assess reliably&#8221; the chances of City winning their appeal, Severn added that &#8220;doing so will not be easy&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But Maguire believes that while it will be difficult for City to be successful, &#8220;there is a route&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">City have brought in Mark Howard KC to advise the club in their appeal, while Etihad Airways has enlisted the services of respected law firm Quinn Emanuel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Maguire said: &#8220;Given the lawyers that have been recruited by Manchester City, they may go down what&#8217;s been described to me as a mess and noise approach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;That means trying to discredit everything to do with the process of the Commission rather than necessarily the evidence that was presented. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I&#8217;ve seen the documents that Abu Dhabi presented to the New York case. I&#8217;m not a lawyer, but from an accounting point of view, they can be seen in more than one way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Even though Premier League regulations state an appeal must be heard within 12 weeks, or by Christmas Eve, Severn added that &#8220;given the scale and complexity of the proceedings, a final outcome may not be known for some time&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"eventPromo\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-yapki9-EventInformationContainer e646wox6\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1lkl5gx-EventTitleContainer e646wox5\"><strong>Follow Manchester City on BBC Sounds<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vf62z0-EventDetailsContainer e646wox4\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Pre-match, post-match and topical City content<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-e4s26j-CallToActionContainer e646wox3\"><span class=\"call-to-action-link-text-wrapper\">Listen on Sounds<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1l9dnxb-CoverageTextContainer e646wox2\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Subscribe and listen for everything you love about City<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"topicList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"topic-list\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nj9heb-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pfbb52-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-w8zanw-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li>Football<\/li>\n<li>Premier League<\/li>\n<li>Manchester City<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"promoList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">More on this story<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"ssrcss-1ughxsy-List e880cno1\">\n<li>\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-ccqz3i-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1iahvul-PromoCompact e18gnqux0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-wg79iw-PromoContent exn3ah912\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-6bmydz-PromoHeadline exn3ah99\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Football on Trial: The Manchester City Charges<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport\/football\/articles\/c6je5lwxk5l0o&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/branded_sport\/1200\/cpsprodpb\/ee2f\/live\/cb7000d0-b9aa-11f1-8a1a-0176f978c211.jpg&#8221;] Do Manchester City have any grounds to win their appeal? To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, BBC Sport&#8217;s Dale Johnson, Dan Roan, Laura Scott and Sami Mokbel assess Manchester City&#8217;s position By Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent Published [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[35,226],"class_list":["post-2202597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-bbc-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2202597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202597\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2202597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2202597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2202597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}