Man City have won their legal challenge against the EPL’s APT rules

Manchester City Football Club welcomes the recent publication of the Rule X Arbitral Tribunal Award, which marks a significant victory for the Club. The Tribunal has ruled in favor of Manchester City’s claim, declaring that the Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules imposed by the Premier League were unlawful.

Arbitral Tribunal Rules Premier League Abused Its Dominant Position

Key findings of the Tribunal include:

• Manchester City succeeded in its challenge, with the APT rules being found in violation of UK competition law. The Premier League’s decisions regarding two specific sponsorship transactions were overturned.
• Both the original and amended APT rules were ruled illegal, breaching procedural fairness and UK competition law.
• The Premier League was found to have abused its dominant position, applying the APT rules unfairly to the Club.

• The Tribunal determined the APT rules were discriminatory, as they deliberately excluded shareholder loans, further undermining fairness.
• Specific Premier League decisions to restate the fair market value of two Manchester City sponsorship transactions were set aside due to procedural unfairness.

• The Premier League was also found guilty of unreasonable delays in assessing the fair market value of the sponsorship deals, violating its own regulations.

This ruling represents a significant legal victory for Manchester City, affirming that the Premier League’s actions were both unlawful and unfair in their application.

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