LONDON: Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admits the legal cases facing Manchester City and other top-flight teams have created 鈥渦ncertainty and frustration鈥� ahead of the new season.
An independent commission is set to rule on the 115 charges against Premier League champions City for alleged financial breaches during the season.
There are also cases to be resolved involving Leicester and Everton, related to alleged breaches of the league鈥檚 profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
Asked if the unresolved financial issues would cast a shadow over the 2024/25 season, Masters told Sky Sports: 鈥淚t does matter, and I understand it creates uncertainty and some frustration but there is no happy alternative to enforcing the rules, which everyone has agreed at the beginning of each season.
鈥淭hey have looked each other in the eye and shaken each other鈥檚 hand and said 鈥榳e will abide by these rules鈥�. So the Premier League has to enforce rules.
鈥淲hatever difficulty or frustration that creates is part of maintaining and protecting the Premier League鈥檚 competition, its core values, competitive competition. And that鈥檚 really my role, and that鈥檚 what I want to continue doing.鈥�
City, who are bidding for an unprecedented fifth successive Premier League title, have won the top-flight crown twice since the charges, which they vehemently deny, were laid in February last year.
Reports have suggested the hearing into City鈥檚 case could start in September, but Masters refused to be drawn on a timescale.
鈥淚 think it does need to be resolved,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not in our hands. It鈥檚 in the hands of an independent panel.
鈥淭hey are in charge of the timing and the running of the process, and we must let them get on with it.鈥�
City鈥檚 alleged breaches relate to rules requiring the reporting of accurate financial information and the submission of details of manager and player pay information within the relevant contracts.
They also refer to a club鈥檚 responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA鈥檚 financial regulations and to the league鈥檚 own profitability and sustainability regulations.
City are alleged to have breached rules requiring them to co-operate and assist with the Premier League鈥檚 investigation into those breaches, which the league said began in December 2018.
Everton and Nottingham Forest were docked points for PSR breaches last season, and those rules remain in force for the campaign ahead, requiring clubs to limit losses to a maximum of 拢105 million ($134 million) over three seasons.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 speculate on (whether there will be charges related to the 2023-24 PSR assessment period),鈥� Masters said.
鈥淵ou can only really adjudicate on it when you have audited accounts and that process doesn鈥檛 start until toward the end of the year.鈥�