Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal’s role in bombshell Premier League legal case vs Man City

Manchester City declared victory when a panel determined that parts of the Premier League’s restrictions are against competition law. A study details the split between clubs.

Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United were among the clubs that testified on favor of the Premier League in their sponsorship rules lawsuit against Manchester City.

City claimed to have won a significant legal win over the Premier League after an independent tribunal concluded that the competition’s rules are illegal. A scathing ruling from three retired judges found that restrictions aimed to prevent clubs from exaggerating transactions with firms affiliated to their owners violated the Competition Act.

They particularly mentioned two proposals from Etihad Airways and First Abu Dhabi Bank that City’s four-time Premier League winners turned down last year.

The arbitration panel found that the Premier League’s ruling on both accounts was “procedurally unfair.” A 175-page analysis detailed the divisions among Premier League teams on the topic.

City called witnesses in the suit, including executives from Chelsea, Everton, and Newcastle United, albeit the identity of the clubs’ representatives were concealed.

Meanwhile, the Premier League summoned a Brighton official as a witness, accompanied by written testimonies from Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham, and West Ham.

In a statement, Manchester City said, “The club has succeeded with its claim: the Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules have been found to be unlawful, and the Premier League’s decisions on two specific MCFC sponsorship transactions have been set aside.”

It continued: “The Premier League was found to have abused its dominant position … the rules were found to be discriminatory in how they operate.”

However, the Premier League said that “the tribunal upheld the need for the APT system as a whole and rejected the majority of Manchester City’s challenges.”

“Moreover, the tribunal found that the rules are necessary in order for the league’s financial controls to be effective.”

The Premier League and its clubs will convene a meeting next week, which was originally not scheduled, to discuss the design of the new rules.

The separate hearing examining City’s 115 charges is in its third week of an estimated ten. The judgment is unlikely to be made public until at least next spring.