It has been over a year since the hearing into Manchester City’s alleged financial breaches began, but the long wait for a verdict could finally soon be over.talkSPORT’s Stefan Borson, our legal expert who has been casting his eye on the case all football fans are longing to discover the outcome of, expects the news to drop imminently. City have been accused of breaking Financial Fair Play rules over a nine-year period between 2009-18, with the Premier League issuing 115 charges and later a further 15. City deny all charges against them.The ten-time English champions won the Premier League on three occasions during the period in question.They were first charged by the Premier League in February 2023 with the hearing to an independent commission beginning in September 2024. When will a verdict be reached?There were some suggestions that the verdict would be announced this month, however, things have been delayed.But Borson believes we will know the outcome before 2025 is out.“There’s a lot of misleading stuff seeping out onto social media,” Borson told talkSPORT. “I think the simple reality is that neither party, as of the end of last week, has had the decision of the panel.“This is not a case where they’ve both had the decision and the sort of negotiations and settlement discussions going on in the background.“It’s very very simple. They have not had the decision of the panel as of yet.“I do think now there’s no real excuse for a further delay. “Even if they were busy on other matters, and they would have been, then I think it would be really quite extraordinary that there’s been no timetable set with them and no arrangement set with them in terms of the payment of their time over these last ten months to produce the decision.City have become a juggernaut of football under their current ownershipGetty“I think on any basis ten months is enough to produce even a very very detailed 400 or 500 page decision on this case, and I think it is imminent.“I know I have said that before multiple times in this room but I did think that there was a very good chance that it would have come out for this international window.“I think there’s a very good chance it will come out in the next international window and I really can’t see it going into 2026.“I just cannot see it extending beyond the year. I think it is almost out.“Why has it not dropped into those inboxes as of yet? I don’t know, it may well have done in the last 24 hours.“But, certainly as of the end of last week, it was not a case of secret discussions or secret settlement discussions. It’s just very, very simple. They had not received the decision.”The powers that be at City will be holding their breath over the verdictGettyMan City’s charges explainedCity have been charged with breaking FFP rules over 100 times between 2009-18 with their alleged offences coming during a period they began to dominate football in England.They won the Premier League in 2012, 2014 and 2018 and have gone on to win the league five times after the period in question. City have also won the Champions League, three FA Cups and six League Cups since current owner Sheikh Mansour bought the club in 2008. Their charges vary from failing to provide accurate financial information, to not complying with UEFA’s FFP rules and not disclosing manager compensation.Not all of them relate to financial issues, though – 35 relate to allegedly failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.Failure to comply offences are self-explanatory, however, the first alleged breach is the breach which City face the most charges from.Man City's charges explained1. Failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009-10 to 2017-1854 charges relating to breach2. Failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation from 2009-10 to 2017-1814 charges relating to breach3. Failure to comply with UEFA’s regulations, including UEFA’s Club and Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations5 charges relating to breach4. Breaches of Premier League profitability and sustainability regulations from 2015-16 to and including 2017-18 season7 charges relating to breach5. Failure to cooperate with Premier League investigations from December 2018-present35 charges relating to breachEvery Premier League club signs up to a code of compliance, which involves providing the league with accurate and up-to-date accounts.But City have been accused of inflating the value of their sponsorship, which allowed owner Mansour to pump more money into the club.Other charges City are facing include a failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation.The latter concerns former City manager Roberto Mancini, who was alleged to have been paid over £1million annually as a consultancy fee for Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi on top of his reported salary.These alleged hidden payments were also said to have been given to players signed during that period, which in theory, allowed City to build the foundations of success from which Guardiola took over in 2016.In 2020, City were fined around £27m for alleged FFP breaches by UEFA and handed a two-year ban from European competitions.This is a verdict City fans will be desperate to find out, as will supporters of other Premier League clubsGettyThe verdict was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the money was reduced to £10m. The panel found some breaches alleged were time-barred – crucially, the Premier League’s investigation does NOT include a time bar.What happens if Man City are found guilty?The severity of any punishment ultimately depends on how many, if any, of the charges City are found guilty of.A hefty fine or a points deduction would seem most likely, but City could also be expelled from the Premier League.They could also suffer a transfer ban, like Chelsea experienced in 2019 when they were found guilty of breaches of rules relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.Spending limits could also be inflicted on City but perhaps most severe could see them even face relegation. Borson believes this is unlikely though, as he explained in June 2024: “There can be no question that, if these charges are proven, this will end in at least relegation.“There is the suggestion of conspiracy over, effectively, a ten-year period.“If proven, this is super serious. Nobody would argue with that. City will say, I promise you, that this is an allegation of the most serious nature.“It seems to me to be highly unlikely that the conduct is alleged has taken place over a ten-year period with the sorts of individuals that are involved in the club and in the companies that are involved.“It will be a very big call for any court or tribunal to suggest that this number of people have been dishonest, and perjured themselves.“That would be a massive call for, effectively, some KCs [King’s Counsel] and maybe a former finance director of a football club, to make against not just Manchester City, but against numerous executives, against third party individuals, and against, of course, potentially senior members of foreign states.”