Ex-Everton chief Keith Wyness says Manchester City's rivals have "reason to be angry" over the secrecy surrounding the hearing into their 115 charges.
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City accused of breaching financial regulationsThe hearing started earlier in SeptemberWyness demands more transparencyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The confidential hearing between City and the Premier League officially began on 16 September 2024 in central London. The case, which is expected to drag on for approximately 10 weeks, revolves around City’s financial irregularities that date back to 2008 over their alleged failure to provide accurate details for player and manager payments and endorsement deals.
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Wyness, who served as the chief executive at Goodison Park from 2004 to 2009, voiced his concerns regarding the opacity of the hearing, as it is being conducted behind closed doors. He believes that since the other Premier League clubs are shouldering a significant portion of the legal costs, they should be privy to the proceedings of the court.
WHAT WYNESS SAID
In an interview with the Insider Track podcast, he said: "I can understand if the other clubs are upset. If you’re paying the bill, you have a right to see what’s going on. This will be deducted from the overall broadcasting share, so if it’s £20 million in legal fees – that’s a million from each club.
“But due to legal proceedings being as they are, they’ve decided it will be held in secret. Clubs have every right to be upset because they don’t know if their money is being well-spent. You don’t know if the Premier League have hired the wrong lawyers, or have spent too much on lawyers."
DID YOU KNOW?
Wyness backed his arguments by referring to Everton's recent legal battle with the Premier League, in which the governing body reportedly spent five times more on expert witnesses than the club did.
“In the recent Everton case, the Premier League had their knuckles wrapped because they spent five times more on expert witnesses than Everton," he claimed.
“There is a case that if you’re spending someone else’s money, you’re not quite as careful. With the Premier League having a blank cheque, there’s not much accountability. Yes, there is a reason to be angry and question it – but the reality is that the clubs aren’t going to have much say.”