Premier League clubs hand Man City major new issue over 115 charges as civil war hots up

Manchester City continue to fight the Premier League in court, as the battle over their 115 allegations of financial malfeasance rages on, attracting the interest of other teams.

Manchester City are about to find out which rival clubs may seek damages during the Premier League’s continuing civil war.

City is at the center of the so-called ‘Trial of the Century,’ which will see 115 claims of financial misconduct heard in court. The reigning English champions were initially publicly accused of breaking Premier League regulations on November 5, 2018, when German publication Der Spiegel released information from the Football Leaks papers.

Claims for breach of contract are normally limited to six years, which ends next month. As a result, many clubs believe they must act to protect their rights while the legal process continues.

Executives at City rivals are now seeking legal advice before deciding how to respond individually. The team, which is controlled by the Abu Dhabi-backed City Football Group, has always denied any wrongdoing.Although any potential arbitration between Premier League clubs will be kept private, The Telegraph reports that City will learn which teams want to seek damages if an ongoing independent panel finds severe misconduct during its probe.

The 1980 Limitation Act establishes a six-year term from becoming aware of a probable breach, assuming reasonable diligence. A reservation of rights letter, which City’s competitors may issue, is often issued when a party becomes aware of new information that might constitute a violation of contract, but requires time to investigate and evaluate its alternatives, and desires to reserve its rights.

City claims to have ‘irrefutable proof’ to back up their alleged innocence and says they ‘look forward to this subject being put to bed once and for all’. The hearing into the issue began last month and is anticipated to run around 10 weeks, with the other 19 Premier League teams keeping a close eye on it.As City fights the allegations brought against them by the Premier League in February 2023 following a four-year inquiry, the league’s financial regulations as a whole have come under scrutiny. Earlier this week, City accused the Premier League of’misleading’ about the ruling in its landmark court challenge on commercial contract regulations.

Although not directly relevant to the charges case, City believed that the ruling was in their favor after several concerns were upheld. However, the Premier League maintains that the tribunal rejected the majority of City’s claims and ‘supported the basic objectives, framework, and decision-making of the APT (associated party transaction) system.’