Civil war in Premier League? Another club to launch legal action, following Man City's footsteps
Manchester City launched legal action against Premier League earlier this month
Days after Manchester City went to war with the Premier League byalleging "discrimination" related to the Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, another top-tier club is expected to followsuit. Man City sued the league over APT rules that were introduced in December 2021 and revised in January 2024.
Aston Villa is believed to be the second club, planning tolaunch legal action. Nassef Sawiris, Egypt’s richest man and the billionaire owner of the club, said existing regulations on spending capped the 'ambitious owners' from challenging the established elites - referring to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.
"Some of the rules have actually resulted in cementing the status quo more than creating upward mobility and fluidity in the sport. The rules do not make sense and are not good for football,"Sawiris was quoted as saying by Financial Times.
"Managing a sports team has become more like being a treasurer or a bean counter rather than looking at what your team needs. It’s more about creating paper profits, not real profits. It becomes a financial game, not a sporting game," he added.
Aston Villa finished fourth in the Premier League last season and secured a place in the UEFA Champions League after a lengthy hiatus. However, to sustain at the top level, Villa hierarchy argues that it needs to pump more money to refresh the squad which the current rules make difficult.
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
Asim Munir eyes defence deal with Qatar & Turkiye after Kuwait as Pakistan seeks investments | Gravitas
)
'Worst quality AI in market': Meta AI's moderation fail hits PM Modi and Indian Democracy
)
'Spreading deepfakes, deleted PM Modi's video': Why Meta AI should be banned in India for interfering in Indian economy and democracy
)
Tom Cruise's daughter Suri drops his surname; adopts Katie Holmes' middle name Noelle
)
Delhi Police issues BIG statement on viral 'don't leave national capital without permission' notice | FACT CHECK
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police blocks 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
)
Earthquake of magnitude 7.1 strikes Japan's Kumamoto prefecture, tsunami warning issued
)
FAA orders fix for faulty seats on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets, warns of passenger injury in emergency landings
)
Sadie Sink's leaked Spider-Man: Brand New Day clip fuels fresh Jean Grey speculation
)
You are a 'Naked Official' in China if you hold high posts and have children or spouse abroad. What about India?
)
He predicted COVID-19 and 2008 economic crisis, was labeled fearmonger. Now he has another dire warning
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
'First dumb AI': Meta AI blocks Indian PM Modi's video in his own country, allows abuse ads and deletes livelihoods without explanation
)
‘Kill Melania, Barron’: Why is IRGC-linked media outlet urging ‘freedom fighters’ to assassinate Trump’s family? WATCH
)
ChatGPT invoked God, told pastor not to worry about his symptoms. Then pulmonary embolism hit
)
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir election turns violent: 19 killed, protests intensify as rigging allegations fly
)
Who will benefit from Kapil Sibal's ₹1 crore legal aid fund for NEET protesters? This is what we know
)
3,000 years ago, humanity spoke thousands of languages — then fell silent. Where did they all go?
)
'Broader struggle for democracy...': Greta Thunberg joins Indian students protest in London - What she said
)
China deploying advanced fighter jets closer to India's northern frontier
)
Why did Meta remove PM Modi's Facebook video on paper leaks? Tech company blames 'technical error'
)
'Very unimpactful': Trump downplays Russian support for Iran, promises to 'ask Putin' about Zelensky's claims
)
Russia-Ukraine War: Russia drops 3-tonne Glide bombs on Ukraine
)
Woman used AI to tell court what happened the night her ex-boyfriend 'raped' her. It was a bad idea
)
'Islamic Republic will never make a deal with the US': Iran deputy speaker echoes Araghchi’s remark
)
Giant iceberg flips violently near Greenland exposing its underside - 'I didn't know they could do that'
)
Rahul Gandhi slams BJP for felicitating Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, accuses Modi government of 'celebrating ruined futures'
)
NEET aspirant ends her life in Maharashtra after falling 11 marks short of cut-off
)
Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband Ojani Noa claims he confronted Sean 'Diddy' Combs over alleged affair
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
What did Man City do?
On June 4, it was revealed that City had gone after Premier League to challenge the revision of the APT rules.
City have argued that an independent commission should not evaluate the sponsorship deals. The hearing started on June 10 and is expected to last till June 21.
If the club is successful in the case, it would mean that City, owned by UAE's vice president, could pump as much money into it using companies from the Gulf, already connected with the royal family.
It will also set precedent for other clubs with rich owners, private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds to put inflated amounts of money into the club, thereby breaking the entire Premier League system.
The success that City manager Pep Guardiola has achieved on the field has been smeared with a little asterisk next to it. Apart from setting the stage for a civil war,City are also accusedof providing inaccurate financial information between 2009 to 2018, leading to breach of 115 Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
While the likes of Everton and Nottingham Forest have been punished this season for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), City are yet to face any action.
(With inputs from agencies)