Man City sues Premier League

Man City have sued the Premier League over its "Affiliated Party Transactions" (ATP) regulations, the newspaper reported.TimesThe legal dispute will be resolved in two weeks of hearings starting June 10, the court said.

ATP rules require any transaction between a club and companies linked to the club's owners to be independently assessed as being at "fair market value". It was introduced in December 2021, when the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund bought Newcastle.

Man City claim that ATP is illegal and inconsistent with UK competition law. In a 165-page legal document, the reigning Premier League champions claim to be victims of discrimination. They also seek damages for having to comply with ATP.

According to journalist Kaveh Solhekol ofSky Sports, ATP was set up to prevent owners from improperly funding clubs through affiliated companies.

"You can't make up a number and say it's £100m, £200m or £300m as a way of funding the club. It has to be fair market value," Solhekol said. "But Man City argue that this is illegal and it's clear that this could have major consequences for the future balance of the Premier League."

Meanwhile, the Premier League is investigating 115 allegations against Man City. These allegations include failing to provide detailed financial information, breaching UEFA's financial fair play rules and failing to cooperate with the investigation. According toTimes, the trial could begin in November.

According to Solhekol, the Premier League's investigation into 115 allegations against Man City and Man City's lawsuit over ATP are two separate cases. However, many of the allegations against the club also relate to sponsorship deals with the owner's affiliate company. "If Man City win the ATP case, it will create a big hole in the Premier League's case," Solhekol predicted.

Man City is currently owned by City Football Group, a group related to the Abu Dhabi Royal Family, UAE. In addition to Man City, this group also owns Palermo (Italy), Girona (Spain) and Yokohama Marinos (Japan).

Since the investment in 2008, Man City have transformed into a top club. In the last 13 seasons, they have won eight Premier League titles, one Champions League and one treble. Before that, Man City had only won two English championships in the 1936-1937 and 1967-1968 seasons.