Manchester City are effectively challenging an appeal panel to question the legitimacy of official Abu Dhabi government documents as they seek to prove their innocence, a report has revealed.
City claimed to have “irrefutable evidence” of their innocence even before they were found guilty of more than 100 major financial rule breaches and have continued to point to that same body of evidence ahead of their formal appeal, with club officials unashamedly confident that they will ultimately win this case.
According to The Telegraph, City’s argument revolves around an attempt to prove that the initial panel were wrong to dismiss a series of Abu Dhabi government documents and key witnesses for the case.
City believe these documents prove that the Abu Dhabi government, of which City owner Sheikh Mansour is a member, was the source of funding for the sponsorship deals being scrutinized and will argue that the panel conducting the initial investigation were wrong to bluntly dismiss them as evidence.
There is also believed to be fresh evidence from the Abu Dhabi government that backs up that argument, which City expect to effectively challenge the appeal panel to decide whether Abu Dhabi officials can be trusted.
Will Man City Win Their Appeal?
The first obstacle for City is securing a date for their appeal. The process is currently still at the stage of appointing a panel to hear the appeal, after which a formal timeline will be set.
Rules state the appeal must be heard no later than 12 weeks after it is lodged. In this case, that would set a deadline of Jan. 21, 2027.
When City officials do get in front of that panel, they will be gambling that the new panel will entertain the same arguments that were bluntly dismissed initially. Their case revolves largely around alleged misinterpretations of the law and claims that their “irrefutable evidence” was wrongly dismissed.
It is a bold strategy, considering the first panel specifically responded to those allegations with a blunt dismissal. “We concluded that it was an ‘explanation’ that the Club had concocted well after the event in an attempt to obscure and conceal the realities of the Disguised Funding Scheme,” the commission argued.
The appeal panel can reexamine documents and witness testimonies, but is unlikely to hear directly from witnesses again.
At the end of the appeal, the panel will decide whether to uphold the initial verdict, overturn some of the charges against City or perhaps even order a retrial if there is a belief that the case needs hearing in its entirety once again.
City remain adamant with their stance and hope to have cleared their name before the end of the season.
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