UK Media: Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Other Teams Provide Evidence Against Manchester City; Chelsea and Newcastle Support the Blues

Manchester City has achieved a landmark victory in its legal dispute with the Premier League, with the court ruling that certain sponsorship rules of the Premier League are illegal. These rules primarily target related party transactions (APT), aiming to limit the practice of club owners’ enterprises paying excessively high fees to the clubs to ensure financial fairness.

The conflict between Manchester City and the Premier League originated from the club’s attempt to sign a new sponsorship deal with an Abu Dhabi bank at the end of 2023, which was rejected by the Premier League. However, a panel of three judges ultimately ruled that the Premier League’s blocking of this contract was improper because some clauses of the APT regulations violated competition law.

According to UK media reports, during this process, eight clubs submitted evidence unfavorable to Manchester City to the court. They are Arsenal, Manchester United, Wolves, Liverpool, West Ham United, Brentford, Bournemouth, and Fulham. In contrast, Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Everton stood on the side of Manchester City.

This ruling is not only beneficial to Manchester City but also has far-reaching implications for the entire Premier League. It is seen as a setback for Richard Masters, the CEO of the Premier League, as it means that the league’s future financial management policies will have to be adjusted. Moreover, this ruling could potentially change the outcomes of future matches, as it allows clubs with wealthy backgrounds to more easily secure lucrative sponsorship deals and also conduct player transfers more freely between clubs owned by the same individual.

Manchester City will face Wolves away on October 20th, and this match may add many highlights due to the tense relationship between the management.