BREAKING Man City inflict huge defeat on 'unlawful' Premier League in APT legal challenge

Manchester City won a substantial victory against the Premier League after a panel deemed both current and original Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules to be unlawful.

City brought the unprecedented challenge to the league over its APT rules after claiming them to be discriminatory and bad for business. Brought in months after Newcastle's takeover in 2021 and then made even stricter in 2023, the Blues argued that the Premier League's political motivations for bringing the rules in clouded them to the reality that it was a poor decision commercially.

As has been the case with the more serious Premier League charges City are facing, an arbitration hearing was held in front of an independent panel but behind closed doors for both sides to put their argument. After two weeks of debate, the verdict has now been written up and released - and it does not make pleasant reading for the league.

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Not only did the tribunal decide that the Premier League rules breached competition law and are therefore legally void, it found that the Premier League was specifically unfair in how it had applied the rules to City. The club can now seek damages from the Premier League as a result of the decision, reached by a former Supreme Court Justice, a former Judge of the European Court of Justice, and a former High Court Judge.

While the case may not significantly influence the arbitration hearing currently ongoing around the 115 charges, any evidence of poor governing by the Premier League will help City to further their argument that an independent regulator is needed. Conversely, any weakening of the Premier League's position will make the Blues even more unpopular with the group of clubs that are backing the league.