Manchester City have been accused of “inflaming tensions” as they have “angered” Premier League rivals after learning the verdict of their APT hearing.
Since the start of 2023, Man City have been facing over 100 charges after being accused of breaching the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play rules. This followed a four-year probe into their conduct between 2009 and 2018.
If found guilty, Pep Guardiola‘s side could be given a huge fine, points deduction, transfer ban or even expulsion from the Premier League.
This case is currently ongoing and an initial verdict is not expected to be reached until the first quarter of 2025.
Man City have insisted their innocence and fought back against the Premier League in the summer. This came as they campaigned for the removal of Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules.
This case concluded at the start of this month. While it’s been suggested that Man City and the Premier League had success, the club “won on penalties”.
It’s emerged that Man City’s biggest success is forcing a change to rules on shareholder loans, which will now need to be taken into account regarding Profit and Sustainability.
Several Premier League clubs owed their owners over £100m at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and it has been suggested that Arsenal ‘could face a points deduction’ if teams are punished for retrospective breaches.
Earlier this month, a report from The Guardian revealed Man City had accused the Premier League of “misleading” rival clubs over the APT verdict.
“Given the findings in the award, this is the time for careful reflection and consideration by all clubs, and not for a kneejerk reaction,” City’s general counsel Simon Cliff said in a leaked email.
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“Such an unwise course would be likely to lead to further legal proceedings with further legal costs. It is critical for member clubs to feel that they can have trust in their regulator.
“When the Premier League consulted on and proposed the original APT Rules in late 2021, we pointed out that the process (which took several weeks) was rushed, ill-thought-out and would result in rules that were anti-competitive. The recent award has validated those concerns entirely.
“The tribunal has declared the APT rules to be unlawful. MCFC’s position is that this means that all of the APT rules are void, and have been since 2021.”
Responding to this leaked email, former Everton chairman Keith Wyness ‘hit’ Man City with a ‘new accusation’ as they are “inflaming tensions” between Premier League clubs.
In an interview with Football Insider, he said: “The meeting went ahead on Tuesday.
“These APT rules and potential trouble about shareholder loans are creating real friction. There seems to be a real split with the clubs.
“What seems to have inflamed the issue is Man City’s top legal guy, Simon Cliff, emailing the clubs about the actions of the Premier League and statements from Richard Masters.
“Rather than letting things sit and putting a cold towel around it, he’s inflamed tensions even further. Clubs have been angry about that and we’re seeing some real division.”
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