Man City take legal action against Premier League ahead of 115 charges hearing

Manchester City are taking LEGAL ACTION against the Premier League ahead of November’s hearing into their alleged 115 breaches of financial rules and regulations. 

A two-week private arbitration will begin on Monday June 10, which could well have a major impact on the outcome of City’s later hearing, which is expected to take six weeks to conclude. 

In their action, City are seeking to end the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, set up in December 2021 following the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle. 

The rules are designed to prevent clubs from signing inflated commercial deals with organisations linked to their owners, instead ensuring deals are independently assessed for fair market value. 

City claim the APT rules are unlawful and are seeking damages that could run into the tens of millions. Four of City's top 10 sponsors have got ties to the UAE. 

The club also claim they have been discriminated against on the basis of their Gulf-based ownership and describe the Premier League’s two-thirds majority voting structure as “a tyranny of the majority”. 

The details are revealed in an exclusive report in the Times, which claims that around half the league’s clubs are already set to support the Premier League in its action and have pledged witness statements. 

City's 'lower-profile sporting history'

City claim the current rules are anti-competitive and restrictive, stating that they punish clubs with “lower-profile sporting histories”. 

Despite these claims, City have won four Premier League titles in a row and six of the last seven available. Only Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp since 2018 have managed to prevent City from taking the crown.

There is a meeting set for Thursday this week in Harrogate where Premier League clubs are expected to discuss these latest developments. 

Man City failed to reply to the Times when asked to comment while the Premier League declined to offer a comment on the story.