Man City accusations: Era-defining ‘trial of the century’ dissected

“This is a battle for the soul of the Premier League – what happens off the pitch this season will define us for a generation.”

That’s the verdict of a leading football official ahead of the start in September of what has been billed as the sport’s “trial of the century”.

In one corner is the Premier League, the world’s most popular sports league and one of Britain’s most successful cultural exports. On the other is Manchester City, the club that has dominated the competition with eight titles in the last 13 seasons, including an unbroken streak of four consecutive titles which they hope will become five this season.

The hearing, expected to last about 10 weeks, has involved some of the country’s best legal minds.

One extreme of the court’s powers is expulsion from the Premier League. Alternatively, a verdict that exonerates City – especially with a favorable outcome in their separate challenge over the legality of the rules on associated party transactions – would reduce the chances of another decade of dominance.

However, anyone hoping for a big courtroom cliffhanger, with daily twists and turns for the football-loving public to follow, will be sorely disappointed. The secrecy surrounding the hearing even extends to the Premier League’s confirmation of basic details like when it will begin, where it is taking place and the precise number of charges (variously interpreted from the statement as between 115 and 130).

Telegraph Sport answers key questions:

How many rules have Manchester City broken?

How far back does all this go?

What rules are they accused of breaking?

Do we know exactly how they were accused of breaking these rules?

What does Manchester City say?

Was the hearing into the associated party transaction between the Premier League and Manchester City separate from the accusations?

Who won the hearing on associated party transactions?

Does this have an impact on fees?