Aston Villa owner ponders lawsuit against the Premier League

Aston Villa billionaire co-owner Nassef Sawiris has admitted that he is seeking legal advice about potentially suing the Premier League. The businessman’s claims come about a week after news broke that Manchester City launched a similar lawsuit. City officials assert that the league’s Associate Party Transaction (APT) rules are unlawful. The reigning English champions say that they are victims of discrimination as well.

City’s lawsuit against the Premier League began earlier this week in a British courtroom. The hearings are expected to last around two weeks. A positive outcome for the club would be a major blow to the division. It would also potentially allow City to spend even more money than it already does.

Following the news regarding City, it was also reported that three English top-flight teams were siding with the champions. Villa happened to be one of the trio to back City. Sawiris, the richest person in Egypt, apparently has a close relationship with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. The Egyptian also shares similar financial feelings as his Emirati counterpart. Chelsea and Newcastle are supposedly the other two teams to agree with City and Villa.

Sawiris says Premier League spending rules are ‘anti-competitive’

The Villa co-owner has now claimed that the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) are “anti-competitive” in an interview with the Financial Times. Sawiris went on to tell the outlet that the laws have essentially turned English soccer into a “financial game.”

“Some of the rules have actually resulted in cementing the status quo more than creating upward mobility and fluidity in the sport,” stated Sawiris. “The rules do not make sense and are not good for football.”

“Managing a sports team has become more like being a treasurer or a bean counter rather than looking at what your team needs. It’s more about creating paper profits, not real profits. It becomes a financial game, not a sporting game.”

The current spending rules are in place to help create more of a level playing field among the top teams. Nevertheless, Sawiris wants to be able to flex his financial muscles and spend as much money as he feels necessary.

Sawiris currently owns the English club along with American billionaire Wes Edens. The two execs are key figures in V Sports, an investment firm that also holds a minority stake in Portuguese side Vitória and Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe.

Villa owner targeting possible lawsuit as club faces potential penalties from Premier League

Sawiris would almost certainly not be making such comments if his club was not at risk of breaching the rules. The West Midlands side excelled on the pitch during the most recent campaign. Villa finished fourth in the Premier League, qualifying for the Champions League in the process. Despite this on-field success, club officials reported $151 million in losses during the 2022/23 financial year.

Because of these deficits, Villa is actively attempting to make early moves in the transfer window. Various reports suggest that the club is selling highly-rated midfielder Douglas Luiz to Juventus. The deal, however, is not a typical European soccer transaction. The Italian club is reportedly sending two players along with around $21.5 million for the Brazilian midfielder. One of these players is set to be USMNT star Weston McKennie.

In a separate deal, Villa is currently in negotiations with fellow English side Chelsea regarding Jhon Durán. The Blues want to sign the striker after Benjamin Sesko opted to re-sign with RB Leipzig. The current financial year is set to finalize at the end of June. As a result, Villa is trying to raise funds before the year is completed. The Birmingham-based team will then likely dip back into the transfer market later in the summer.

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