The Premier League is now hearing Manchester City’s case, which involves 115 alleged rule violations. One of the claimed violations is the failure to provide correct financial data for nine distinct seasons. In addition, the whole details of the players’ salaries for the six seasons from 2010–11 to 2015–16 are not provided, nor is the complete salary of manager Roberto Mancini for the four seasons he managed the team from 2009–2013.
We are waiting to learn what the possible penalty would be if found guilty of some or all of these claimed violations. With the potential for everything from hefty fines to point deductions and even relegation. As to a recent article by The Times, Manchester City’s situation can worsen if it turns out that there were rule violations.
Manchester City v Premier League legal case verdict
The decision in the lawsuit that Manchester City filed against the Premier League over the league’s regulations regarding business dealings between team owners has been made public. A panel upheld several of the accusations against City, which is owned by the Abu Dhabi-backed City Football Group. Two elements of the associated party transaction (APT) rules were found to be illegal.
According to the Premier League, however, the tribunal “endorsed the overall objectives, framework, and decision-making of the APT system” and dismissed the majority of Manchester City’s complaints. The importance of sponsorship agreements with businesses associated with club owners is the focus of APTs. The Premier League disciplinary tribunal will consider 115 complaints against City for allegedly violating its financial standards, some of which date back to 2009. This case has nothing to do with those charges.
In a 175-page ruling, the tribunal rejected the Premier League’s February revisions and said that shareholder loans should not be exempt from the APT regulations. Chelsea, Newcastle, and Everton were all witnesses for City in this arbitration process.
