In England, fears of government influence on Manchester City case

One of the most high profile hearings in English football will be the upcoming case of Manchester City's breaches of financial fair play. But the public is wary of outside influences on the process.

Details: As former Everton director Keith Wyness has pointed out, there may be no escaping interference from the Saudi government on the authorities in London here, and therefore the process should be as open as possible.

Quote: ‘I would have thought that when the time came for Abu Dhabi to buy aircraft from the UK, they would give the order to the government if only they could solve the football problem. It is very difficult for the Premier League to fight the nation state and the owners have always been afraid of such interference.

The hearings should be as transparent as possible. If we find undue influence, and these things always come up eventually, it's going to be one hell of a high-profile scandal. I hope it doesn't happen,’ Football Insider quoted Wyness as saying.

Reminder: The hearing for 115 financial fair play offences, as reported by Alan Shearer, will begin next week. Manchester City are facing various offences, up to the deprivation of titles and exclusion from the Premier League.