Manchester City began legal action against the Premier League for the rule that regulates transactions between clubs and companies of the same owner, as is the case of the last champion of the English league with the United Arab Emirates.
According to the British newspaper “The Times”, City has sued the Premier League for what it considers “an injustice” and “discrimination” and is demanding the benefits lost in recent years due to this measure.
In their 165-page presentation, City’s owners talk about discrimination and claim that the Associated Party Transactions (ATP) rules were approved to end their hegemony in England.
That rule came into effect in December 2021 when Newcastle United was bought by Saudi Arabia. At that time, in the Premier League vote, which establishes that fourteen votes are necessary for an initiative to go ahead, City abstained and Newcastle voted against.
The rule was introduced with financial fair play in mind, to prevent clubs from obtaining extra capital and products from business units related to the same owners.
This way, For a club to reach an agreement with a company of the same owner, the agreement must go through an independent commission that determines that it is at the market price, so that financial doping is not incurred.
Approximately a third of Manchester City’s sponsors, including, for example, Etihad, which gives its name to the stadium and is the main sponsor of the shirt, come from the United Arab Emirates, the country that has controlled the club since it bought it in 2008.
In its complaint, City speaks of “the tyranny of the majorities.” According to The Times, between 10 and 12 teams would be willing to testify in favor of the Premier if they were called to testify in the case.
If this rule is eliminated, the richest clubs would benefit since they will be able to increase the amounts they receive from their sponsors without going through the control of the Premier.
This legal action comes one year and four months after the Premier League accused Manchester City of 115 financial irregularities committed between 2009 and 2018, which the club denies.
There is no exact date yet for the sanctions to be known, should the club be found guilty, but the trial should begin this fall and the results, which could include loss of points and even relegation, could be determined in the summer. of 2025.
