Manchester City have reportedly launched a ‘fresh legal assault’ against the Premier League as their Associated Party Transaction (APT) ‘war’ continues.
City have claimed two legal wins over the Premier League, with APT rules deemed ‘null and void’ in the most recent ‘significant’ victory for the club.
Pep Guardiola’s side are also embroiled in a legal battle against the league involving well over 100 alleged financial breaches.
The ongoing standoff between Man City and the Premier League shows no sign of slowing down, with the Daily Mail giving us a fresh update on their legal battle over APT rules.
Associated Party Transactions rules are in place essentially to regulate sponsorship deals which clubs sign with companies linked to their owners and were tightened following Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s takeover of Newcastle United in October 2021.
Man City have been fighting the Premier League for a while and according to the report, they have launched a ‘fresh legal assault’.
It is expected that the club’s ‘war’ with the Premier League over APT rules ‘could rumble on for another YEAR’ after the competition ‘amended regulations that City have successfully challenged’ in court.
It has been claimed in The Lawyer that a tribunal will not be heard until mid-October, which means a new verdict is not expected until next Spring.
The report continues:
Lawyers for City initially argued that the new Associated Party Transaction rules – designed to stop clubs from signing inflated commercial deals with firms linked to their owners and introduced following the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle United – contravened competition law.
A panel ruled in their favour however, despite warnings from City, the Premier League pushed on with a number of tweaks. City then launched another legal challenge, claiming that the new regulations continue to ‘discriminate’ and highlighting a host of rivals, including Arsenal, who they say enjoy an unfair advantage.
The same panel which sided with City on their original complaint will again rule on the latest dispute. Should City again emerge successful the Premier League could see its financial rules thrown into disarray with its clubs hit with another hefty legal bill. The previous case is thought to have cost more than £20m.
The matter is separate from the 130 charges brought against City by the league for alleged breaches of financial rules.