After legal victory, the club questions the league’s interpretation of transactions; case could help club on 115 counts of financial fair play violations
THE Manchester City faces a new challenge in its relationship with Premier League. This time, the club is contesting the league’s interpretation of the result of a recent court case, which it won on Monday (Oct 7, 2024). This is a parallel trial to the “Trial of the Century”, where the club is accused of 115 violations of the league’s financial fair play rules.
The central point of the controversy is the interpretation of the verdict in this week’s court case. Manchester City breached APT rules, which regulate how clubs set up sponsorship deals and property-related revenue, to prevent artificial inflation of these contracts.
Following the verdict, the Premier League stated that the decision reinforces the need to maintain APT rules and rejected most of City’s arguments. The club disagrees and understands that the court declared the APT rules illegal, which, according to them, would invalidate all rules implemented since 2021.
Simon Cliff, Manchester City’s general counsel, expressed the club’s position in an email sent to the other 19 Premier League clubs.
He criticized the league’s suggestion that new APT rules would need to be approved soon. Victory in the APT case could offer the club an advantage in the “Trial of the Century” and alleviate possible punishments.
#Manchester #City #challenges #Premier #League #financial #rules