Manchester City deepen Premier League civil war with 'misleading' accusation and letter to rivals

Manchester City and the Premier League have both claimed victory in their dispute over Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, which is threatening to deepen the divide between clubs

Manchester City have accused the Premier League of “misleading” its clubs over the outcome of its legal dispute over sponsorship deals.

City have written to the other 19 top-flight clubs to counter the Premier League's claim it was victorious in its legal battle with its current champions. Four-in-a-row title winners City claimed a landmark win after an independent tribunal declared unlawful Premier League rules governing commercial deals with parties linked to club owners.

City declared the tribunal had found in their favour and concluded that Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules were unlawful and therefore void, following their introduction in 2021. But the Premier League disagreed with City, claiming the tribunal had backed APT rules but “‘identified a small number of discrete elements – which do not, in current form, comply with competition and public law requirements”.

Premier League clubs are due to hold an emergency meeting next week to discuss the issue and try to end the civil war that has broken out between City and those clubs who support them, and those who are against them.

City are concerned at the Premier League's wish to pass through revised APT rules within the next 10 days, which would take into account shareholder loans, which are currently excluded under the current rulings.

In the letter to Premier League clubs, City's legal counsel, Simon Cliff, said the top-flight's governing body should reflect on the tribunal's findings, rather than seeking to rush through amended rules to appease its members. Cliff wrote: “We will be writing separately about this to the Premier League, but in the meantime, given the findings in the award, this is the time for careful reflection and consideration by all clubs, and not for a knee-jerk reaction.

“Such an unwise course would be likely to lead to further legal proceedings with further legal costs. It is critical for member clubs to feel that they can have trust in their regulator.”

Cliff also claimed the tribunal’s 175-page ruling “does not contain an 'endorsement' of the APT rules", in direct contradiction to the Premier League, which claimed the tribunal largely upheld the framework of the rulings.

In the letter to Premier League clubs, Cliff added: “On the contrary. The APT rules have been found to be unlawful, as a matter of competition law and public law. This means that they are void and not capable of enforcement. This has very significant consequences for APTs that have been entered into to date and APTs that are currently being negotiated by clubs.”

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice.