Reports suggest that Manchester City appear to have secured a potentially significant win in their legal battle with the Premier League over Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, Soccernet.football understands.
The English champions could face unprecedented repercussions if they lose this legal battle with the Premier League, including the possibility of being expelled from the top flight.
Earlier this year, City filed a 165-page claim against the English top division, alleging that the rules discriminated against Gulf ownership.
They contended that the English champions were subjected to “discrimination,” with claims that the regulations were endorsed by their rivals to curb their on-field success, representing a “tyranny of the majority.”
According to The Times, a vote among the 20 PL clubs regarding these rules was scheduled for a meeting on Thursday. However, it was removed from the agenda late Wednesday night, which is viewed as a potentially “major win” for City.
APT rules were changed in 2021 upon Newcastle United’s takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund, clamping down on clubs agreeing inflated commercial deals with parties associated with their owners and ensuring these were at ‘fair market value’.
Premier League clubs now have to submit details of these deals to a data-bank, and Thursday’s vote was set to be on restricting rival clubs’ access to this information.
While this vote and the rule are not directly connected to City’s 115 alleged breaches, many of these charges pertain to sponsorship agreements. The hearing for this case began last week and is expected to continue for at least two months.