Manchester City are set to engage in a legal battle with the Premier League over the organisation’s commercial rules. The arbitration hearing, which concerns the legality of the league’s associated party transaction (APT) rules, is scheduled for 10-21 June. These rules are designed to determine whether sponsorship deals are financially ‘fair’.
In February, it was reported that the Premier League faced the threat of legal action due to changes in its rules. The Premier League has since disclosed to the other clubs that City are the club involved. The league has offered the remaining 19 members the opportunity to submit witness statements as part of the case. Both the Premier League and Manchester City have not responded to requests for comment.
According to The Times, a 165-page legal document reveals that City claim they are victims of “discrimination”. The club argues that the amended rules were approved by rivals to “stifle” their success on the pitch, referring to the situation as “a tyranny of the majority”. This legal challenge comes shortly after City made history by becoming the first club in English football to win the league title in four consecutive seasons.
This legal move precedes a Premier League disciplinary commission hearing, where City will face over 100 charges for allegedly breaching financial regulations, some dating back to 2009. Some of these charges involve amounts paid to City by sponsors linked to Abu Dhabi. The new rules around sponsorship deals, agreed earlier this year by at least 14 clubs, aim to “enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the system,” according to the Premier League. In addition to challenging the rules, City are also seeking damages.
[wpupg-grid id=articles]
