Man City tells rivals that they were all misled by Premier League

Manchester City is claiming that the Premier League was “misleading” in the division’s response to a recent court case between the two sides. League officials and the reigning English champions both claimed victories on the ruling by an independent panel. The case centered around Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules.

City publicly focused on the panel’s ruling that some APT rules were declared unlawful. The Premier League, on the other hand, also mostly praised Monday’s ruling by saying that the court rejected most of the City’s assertions. As a response to the league’s claims, City has sent a scathing letter to other English top-flight clubs.

The letter, which was penned by City’s general counsel Simon Cliff, called out the Premier League for allegedly being deceptive. “Regrettably, the [Premier League’s] summary is misleading and contains several inaccuracies,” wrote Cliff.

“The tribunal has declared the APT rules to be unlawful. MCFC’s position is that this means that all of the APT rules are void. The decision does not contain an ‘endorsement’ of the APT rules, nor does it state that the APT rules, as enacted, were ‘necessary’ to ensure the efficacy of the League’s financial controls.”

Eight English clubs sided with the Premier League in court case

City’s claims regarding the APT rules, however, appear to be incorrect. The Premier League has officially rejected the contents of the letter. A new report by The Telegraph also suggests that a crucial part of the APT laws will remain in place. This reportedly centers around club owners using self-inflated sponsorship agreements to go towards official revenue.

On top of this, the letter sent out to other Premier League teams will mostly fall on deaf ears. It has been revealed that eight English top-flight clubs all provided evidence against City in the recent case.

This list of clubs is highlighted by rivals such as Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United. The Gunners and Reds are City’s main competitors for the Premier League title this season. United, on the other hand, are crosstown rivals and have historically viewed City as little brothers.

Along with this trio, Bournemouth, Fulham, West Ham, Brentford, and Wolves also sided with the Premier League as well. Six of these eight English clubs currently have some form of American ownership.

Chelsea, Newcastle among trio to fight for Man City

While the Premier League had eight teams in their corner during the case, three English teams also sided with City. Chelsea, Everton, and Newcastle all provided information in support of the reigning champions.

Newcastle’s involvement in the case likely comes down to when the Premier League implemented APT laws. The rules were in place directly following Saudi Arabia’s takeover of the Magpies. They blocked a financial loophole that allowed teams to self-inflate revenues so clubs could spend more money on players. Newcastle has spent heavily on transfers since Saudi’s Public Investment Fund entered the fray.

Chelsea has also splashed the cash since the new American owners took over the team in 2022. No other English club has spent more during this timeframe than the Blues. Everton, on the other hand, previously picked up a points deduction for violating the Premier League’s spending laws twice last season.

The aforementioned case is not directly related to City’s other hearing regarding the 115 charges. An official ruling on this specific hearing will not come until early 2025.

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