Finance Expert: Liverpool in line for ‘Very Big’ payout if Man City lose legal case
Stefan Borson believes Liverpool are in line to receive a “big” financial compensation package if Manchester City are proven guilty of breaching Premier League regulation.
Manchester City were charged of breaching financial rules by the Premier League in February 2023. The independent commission began the investigation in September with an outcome likely to be reached in Spring of 2025 [Sky Sports, 16 September].
And Borson explained to iNews [16 November] that should the reigning Premier League champions be deemed guilty, Liverpool along with other affected clubs will be able to claim compensation for their losses.
He said: “Theoretically it’s a massive can of worms, the numbers are potentially very big.
“In English law, there is also the concept of loss of a chance. If I was advising clubs I would be thinking about loss of a chance. It’s a potentially lower hurdle from a causation perspective.
“The other clubs may only need to prove it was a ‘real and substantial’ possibility of something happening – as opposed to a balance of probabilities – to win at least some of their alleged losses.
“If the case goes against City, the claims process will take a very long time, it will be deeply complex, and it will be a real burden for the Independent Commission or Premier League arbitration processes, because they’ll have to deal with so many scenarios, disclosure exercises and assessment of loss.
“Each club is likely to need separate representation because all the claims will be different for each year – with a range of counterfactuals and pleaded cases on loss and causation.”
Will Liverpool supporters be happy if Manchester City are found guilty?
Liverpool supporters can be forgiven for feeling conflicted regarding the outcome of Manchester City’s investigation – the Reds are arguably the most affected side of their recent successes.
Fenway Sports Group are no fools. John Henry has paved his reputation in football as a financial mogul and has built Liverpool around a stable model.
However, this investigation means more than a payout to the Reds. All the years of near-misses under Jurgen Klopp will become somewhat justified if Manchester City are guilty of financial mismanagement.
The timeframe of the alleged crimes stretches back to 2009 and, during that time, the Reds lost the 2016 Carabao Cup final and lost out on two Premier League titles to Manchester City, not to mention the countless head-to-head clashes wherein Pep Guardiola claimed the three points.
Liverpool have not only lost out on the riches of those accomplishments but the trophies themselves. If found guilty, Klopp was actually a three-time Premier League winner during his time on Merseyside.
Those accolades have been robbed from the supporters. Even if the Premier League deemed the Reds the rightful victors, they would always come with an asterisk and be tainted in the eyes of the sport.
This is shaping up to be the investigation that will define the future of the sport. Whoever is on the losing side will not be able to recover from what has been lost.
Liverpool stand to lose the most if Manchester City lose the case, as the Premier League titles which could be attributed to the Reds will not be welcomed in the same manner had they, and perhaps should have been, attained fair and square.
In other Liverpool news, Ben Doak is living up to hype after what he did on international duty.
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