- Manchester City has launched an unprecedented legal action against the Premier League.
- The club has been charged with 115 breaches of Premier League regulations, including failure to provide accurate financial information and non-compliance with UEFA’s FFP rules.
- The charges relate to the period between 2009-10 and 2017-18 and include allegations of concealed payments made by the club’s owner, Sheikh Mansour, through third parties and disguised as sponsorship revenue.
Newsypeople- Manchester City have launched an unprecedented legal action against the Premier League, alleging “discrimination” and seeking damages.
The club is challenging the league’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, which were introduced in 2021 to prevent clubs from inflating commercial deals with companies linked to their owners.
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The dispute has sparked a “civil war” in English football’s top flight, with the outcome potentially having a significant impact on a separate hearing set for November into City’s 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations dating back to 2009.
City argue that the APT rules are unlawful and that the “tyranny of the majority” is attempting to halt their progress as a club. They believe sponsors linked to club owners, such as their Abu Dhabi-based sponsors, should be allowed to determine how much they want to pay, regardless of independent valuation.
Man City has applied Agbado logic by suing the Premier League before the court date of the 115 charges.
— 𝐃𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 (@DrJohnBishop) June 4, 2024
They’ve brought their court date earlier so they can get ahead of the accusations.
pic.twitter.com/l2cSyjjMVY
The Premier League hearing into City’s 115 charges, which could lead to massive fines or even relegation, is expected to last six weeks and is set to take place in the autumn of 2024.
However, according to football finance expert Dr. Dan Plumley, the Premier League is likely to want a resolution before the start of the 2025/26 season.
Plumley also stated that the rumored penalties of Manchester City facing expulsion or relegation from the Premier League are not sensationalized, given the number and nature of the allegations against the club. If any of the charges are proven, significant penalties could be imposed.
The legal battle between Manchester City and the Premier League has the potential to dramatically alter the landscape of professional football in England. The outcome of the APT rules challenge could have far-reaching implications, not only for City’s case but also for the competitiveness of the Premier League as a whole.
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