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Man City taking legal action against Premier League, The Times reports, over league's rules regarding valuations of sponsorships; under regulations introduced in 2021 all deals with companies associated with clubs' owners must be independently assessed to be of 'fair market value

Manchester City are taking legal action against the Premier League, The Times has exclusively revealed.

The newspaper reports City are attempting to end the Premier League's Associated Party Transaction (ATP) rules.

Those rules regard commercial and sponsorship deals with companies owned or associated with the same club's owners.

As things stand, those rules dictate such transactions have to be independently assessed to be of fair market value.

The Times reports that City believe the rules are "unlawful" and they want to seek damages for revenue lost by preventions made by those rules.

The newspaper's reporter, Matt Lawton, quotes a 165-page legal document in which City argue they are the victims of "discrimination".

The rule was brought in in December 2021 as Newcastle was bought by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.

The legal dispute will be settled during a two-week arbitration hearing beginning on Monday June 10.

Sky Sports News has contacted the Premier League and Manchester City for comment.

This could have big ramifications for future competitive balance of Premier League'
Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:

"What is being reported is unprecedented. We've got a situation where a Premier League club, Manchester City, the champions of the Premier League, are basically suing the Premier League.

"What City are going to argue at this arbitration hearing, which will start on Monday, is that some of the league's financial rules are unlawful and they are incompatible with UK competition law. The rules they are talking about are the Associated Party Transaction rules.

"These were brought in in 2021 and they are designed to make sure that if a club signs a commercial deal with a company that is linked to its owners that it has to be a fair value, and that is checked to make sure that it is of fair value.

"So, if you are the owner of a Premier League club and you have another company, say an airline or an energy company, and you want to get that company to sponsor your club - because that is a good way of bringing revenue into your club - that deal has to be checked by independent auditors to make sure it is of fair value.

"You cannot just make up a number and say the deal is worth £100m, £200m or £300m as a way of bringing money into your club. It has to be of fair value.

"But City are going to argue that these rules are unlawful and obviously, this could have big, serious ramifications for the future competitive balance of the Premier League."

How is this linked to Man City's existing 115 charges from the Premier League?
Manchester City were first charged in February 2023 with breaking financial fair play rules around 100 times over a nine-year period, which starts in 2009 and goes on until 2018.

Allegedly, they did not fully disclose the financial remunerations that were made to one of their managers over a four-year period. The suggestion is that there was a secret contract so one of the managers was getting paid much more than officially stated.

The Premier League also allege Man City didn't comply with UEFA's financial fair play rules over a five-year period. They also allege that Man City have not fully co-operated with the Premier League's investigation.

The Times report claims the hearing into City's alleged 115 breaches will be heard in November. Read more about the charges in full here.

Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol said: "The charges and this case are two separate things.

"The 115 charges have been brought by the Premier League against Man City for allegations that they have broken the league's financial rules over 12 or 13 years.

"The hearing into those charges is set for November but obviously, a lot of those charges are also to do with sponsorship deals, deals that were done with companies that are connected to the owners of Manchester City.

"So, if Man City win this case, which starts next week, that would blow a big hole in the Premier League's case at the hearing in November about the 115 charges because Man City would have argued successfully next week that some of these rules are unlawful and incompatible with UK competition law."

Source: [url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/13147867/man-city-launch-legal-action-against-premier-league-over-financial-rules-ahead-of-their-own-115-charge-hearing#:~:text=Manchester%20City%20were%20first%20charged,over%20a%20four%2Dyear%20period.]Skysport[/url]

Let the war begin

Man city want to monopolize the EPL

Shame no catch dem

I see Arsenal supporting Premier League with their full chest.

If city is found guilty, they might just handover the title to them. 😆 🤣 😂

Them wan pass back door win league. 😆 🤣

Never fight the hand that feed you


The premier league can use their bias refrees to deal with them next season

F

Why now

Whatever!

Fraud club...
It's funny how a club whose history started in 2015 are doing gra gra up and down
Their fans are shameless and glory hunters...
They should be relegated to league 2 and fraudiola stripped of his coaching licence...
All EPL titles won through dubious means .. should be stripped off them..
Their nemesis has caught up with them

EPL the new farmers league

Q

DavSagacity:
Man city want to monopolize the EPL

They want to or have already monopolized the EPL.

Four straight EPL titles in a row. That's monopoly

Since 2021?

You don belleful, you still dey find wetin go burst your stomach. Nice one!

Imagine it's a Nigerian club vs NFL. First to calm you down they go first deduct three points from your title winning points base on some issue from the season.
That time they go get real case to tender after they collect their cup give arsenal

Nothing concern me, I sell quality shirts, see my thread now

Money speaking

Pls someone shld summarise this for us.

I dont know how to read long episode

Premier League should sanction City with 10pts deduction & hand over the Title to Arsenal.

EPL is a confirm farmer's League. City group have buried the brain and reasoning of FA in a coffin. Fa can only flex muscles against small clubs like Everton, Nottingham Forest Fulham etc. but at the mention of Manchester City, they'll chicken out

What you said is not sweet, dry joke

sylve11:
I see Arsenal supporting Premier League with their full chest.

If city is found guilty, they might just handover the title to them. 😆 🤣 😂

Them wan pass back door win league. 😆 🤣

Are we in UK .WHY PREMIER LEAGUE PREMIER LEAGUE ALL THE TIME. WE HAVE AN EASTERN DERBY THIS WEEKEND BETEEEN TABLE TOPPERS RANGERS AND PEOPLES ELEPHANT ENYIMBA AND NO SINGLE MENTION ON NAIRALAND YET.ABEG MAKE UNA CARRY UNA PREMIER LEAGUE GO ONE SIDE.

Premier league should strip them of their trophies asap

Arsenal want to collect the league through back door KJ

Serves the freaking FA right!

Lol

cathodekazim:
EPL is a confirm farmer's League. City group have buried the brain and reasoning of FA in a coffin. Fa can only flex muscles against small clubs like Everton, Nottingham Forest Fulham etc. but at the mention of Manchester City, they'll chicken out

It won't work.

Without such regulations then clubs can make bogus claims and spend beyond thier income therefore flaunting the FFP rules.

This is too funny. Instead of clearing the allegation against them they decided to sue the Premier's league.

Divinerace:
Never fight the hand that feed you


The premier league can use their bias refrees to deal with them next season

Not with Guardiola in charge.

If they like, put referee as 12th player... Linesmen as 13th and 14th.

The Flogging will not stop.

Na ogboju be that. E no go work.

Man city breach FFP several times and still want to cancel some law in EPL. Imagine small nyash wey just dey shake small small recently o.