Manchester City is at war with the Premier League. The relationship between the club and the league was already tense, but it just moved to a new level as City appeals against the rules on Associated Party Transactions. The club wants the regulations declared unlawful or unenforceable, and this may mean a dramatic shift in the financial landscape of English soccer.
Follow Playing for 90 on X (Twitter).
What's at stake?
The Premier League, he said, was trying to level the playing field by limiting the financial deals between clubs and their owners. To Manchester City, owned by the billionaire Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi, these restrictions amount to an existential attack on the way the club does business. A year ago, the team tried to block similar rules and now is pressing its legal offensive.
The proposal sailed through as only four out of the 20 topflight clubs voted against the rule that were Manchester City, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest while 16 others were in support for the stricter controls of such financial deals.
City vs. Premier League
This is not a new fight. Since June, City has been fighting the league for discrimination against owners based in the Gulf. The latest arbitration is another chapter in a conflict that has been brewing for years.
Meanwhile, the club is facing an even greater danger: the so-called "Trial of the Century." City has been accused of breaching financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. Punishments if found guilty range from points deductions to relegation—or, worst-case scenario, expulsion from the Premier League.
The impact on English soccer
If City wins this case, the financial landscape of the Premier League might change dramatically. For example, more billionaire owners could invest as much money as they want in their teams, unabated, without controls. This would further expand the financial chasm in the league. On the other hand, if the rule of the Premier League is upheld, then perhaps a legal milestone will have been set that might incite other leagues in Europe to follow suit with similar rules banning such transfers.
The Arbitration Tribunal has previously reviewed disputes between City and the Premier League, with both sides claiming victory in past cases. Now, the ruling on the latest APT regulations could shape the future of Manchester City and the league as a whole. Whatever the verdict, this battle is far from over and could redefine the power dynamics of English soccer.