Supporters must show patience over the Manchester City appeal outcome because it "cannot leave room for doubt", a sport integrity chief said.

An independent commission found the club guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations over nine seasons when it published its findings on 29 September.

The panel concluded City deliberately broke rules by inflating revenue or lowering costs by over £900million through "sham" arrangements to circumvent financial rules.

City’s appeal means the top-flight season continues without a final verdict or clarity over potential sanctions.

While this has raised questions over on-pitch integrity, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, co-founder and global chief executive of Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), insisted justice must come first.

"I understand the fans’ frustration, and I understand also the fans’ anguish, especially those who follow and support Manchester City," he told the Press Association.

"This is not a pleasant situation for anybody, but the law is the law, and it must be served on its own time, without constraints.

"Being a lawyer, I know that justice sometimes is served slowly. That is not because those who are in charge of the procedures are lazy, or they neglect their duties. It’s because there cannot be room for doubt. There cannot be room for failure.

"There cannot be any breach of the constitutional rights that those who are being scrutinised or judged enjoy. But I think it’s fair to say that the process is coming to an end."

Medeiros, speaking during Sport Integrity Action Month, stressed the importance of the case.

"This is also a test, not just for the Premier League and the credibility of the whole system, it is a test for the entirety of European football," he said. “It has involved rivers of ink and hours and hours of public debate. It is a matter of utmost interest for the football community.

"But there are no reasons for speculating regarding due process, and I’m pretty sure that the case will be finished sooner rather than later. Justice is served when it is served on the right time, and I think everyone is aware of that and conscious about their responsibilities."

The commission found City ran a "disguised funding scheme" where Abu Dhabi firms paid only a fraction of recorded sums, with Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), Sheikh Mansour’s ownership vehicle, settling the balance.

That arrangement inflated revenues by over £830m between 2009-10 and 2017-18. City also overstated image rights income by nearly £74m and understated staff contract liabilities by almost £17m.

City claimed the verdict featured "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe".

City chief executive Ferran Soriano told staff via video that the panel accepted the Premier League’s "conspiracy theory".