Manchester City is pursuing legal recourse against the English Premier League regarding commercial regulations.
A major football club, which has recently won its fourth Premier League title in a row, is attempting to challenge the league's Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, according to The Times. These regulations state that commercial and sponsorship agreements between companies connected to the same club must be evaluated by the EPL board to ensure they represent fair market value.
Between 2008 and 2015, this team was fully owned by Abu Dhabi United Group, a company connected to Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed. City Football Group, the parent organization of the team, is majority owned by Newton Investment and Development LLC. Sheikh Mansour also owns this company. Newton is based in Abu Dhabi.
Being essentially owned by a nation, City has faced scrutiny from those who believe it gains an unfair advantage over its competitors due to the extent of the sponsorship deals it makes with businesses connected to its owners.
The APT regulations were implemented after the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle United in December 2021.
According to The Times, City claims these regulations are unlawful and is requesting compensation from the league.
The paper claims City feels discriminated against and has suffered at the hands of the "tyranny of the majority," a reference to how decisions are made within the league, which requires at least 14 out of its 20 members to approve any regulatory changes.
This case will be heard in a private arbitration hearing lasting two weeks, starting on June 10, The Times reports.
CNN contacted the EPL for comment, but they failed to reply. City has not yet responded to CNN's request for a response. CNN couldn't verify the 165-page document reportedly containing the lawsuit details.
The APT ruling could also have a substantial influence on a separate legal matter relating to City - an independent hearing into alleged financial breaches. News of a resolution in this case is still some time away.
In February 2023, the Premier League accused City of flouting more than 100 financial rules. Some of these accusations included inaccurate financial details, non-compliance with UEFA's Financial Fair Play (FFP) conditions and disregard for Premier League profit and sustainability rules.
At the time, the club proclaimed it possessed "an irrefutable body of evidence" to defend itself, and the club manager, Pep Guardiola, hoped for a rapid decision so that "if we're guilty of something, everyone would know it."
Despite City's ongoing legal battles, the team achieved a significant milestone in May, becoming the first English team to win four straight league titles. Additionally, in 2023, City claimed its first Champions League title.
However, the team's victories have been followed by perpetual mentions of the alleged financial breaches, causing distress to the club's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
"It's frustrating," Al Mubarak said during his end-of-season interview, released on City TV on Wednesday. "I understand that our fan base and everyone connected with the club feels aggravated by having these charges repeatedly referenced.
"As a club, we have to respect that there's a process we have to go through. It's taking longer than what one might have hoped for, but it's how it is. I've always maintained... let's be judged by the facts, not by allegations and retaliations."
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Manchester City, the football club that recently clinched its fourth consecutive Premier League title, is involved in a legal dispute with the league over the APT rules, alleging these regulations to be unlawful and requesting compensation. Despite their legal battles and accusations of financial breaches, Manchester City continues to excel on the pitch, becoming the first English team to win four straight league titles and claiming its first Champions League title in 2023.
