Man City wins lawsuit against Premier League, many clubs benefit

Man City will no longer be "whistled" by APT regulations

Previously, Man City was accused of colluding with sponsors to inflate the value of contracts, thereby making the club's financial records look better. These were deals such as £350 million with airline Etihad, £650 million with sportswear company Puma...

According to the accusation, the brands have helped Man City beautify its source of money. With that in mind, the Premier League has prevented the Manchester club from signing contracts with two other partners, greatly affecting their business.

The Premier League also introduced the “APT rule” after the Saudi Arabian owners bought Newcastle. This rule significantly hinders sponsorship deals between clubs and brands with close links to the club’s owners.

Claiming that the accusations were baseless, Man City sued the Premier League Organizing Committee at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

On October 7, Man City were announced to have won the case. CAS stated: “The APT system was indeed illegal and the Premier League was wrong to block two sponsorship deals with Man City.”

The English champions were delighted with the outcome, sending out a statement: “Manchester City Football Club thanks the esteemed members of the Court of Arbitration for Sport for their diligence and welcomes their findings.”

With the recent change, the Premier League will have to adjust or even abolish the APT regulation. In fact, this regulation has been heavily criticized for violating competition law. Through the Daily Mail, a former British judge also said: "The actions of Premier League officials have violated competition law."

And this change is certainly supported by many clubs. Man City, Newcastle or other teams that want to sign sponsorship contracts with the owner's company will no longer have to fear as much as before.