Why are Manchester City suing the Premier League and what has happened to their 115 charges?

Man City have won the last four Premier League titles (Photo: Getty)

Manchester City have just won a record fourth consecutive English top-flight title. Now, they’re suing the Premier League.

It has been reported by The Times that the Citizens have launched an unprecedented legal action against the Premier League, triggering a civil war between the country’s biggest clubs.

City have been involved in legal disputes for a long-time, not least their unresolved 115 alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, but this matter threatens to impact even that.

So what exactly is the legal action about and could it change football in England forever?

Why are Man City suing the Premier League?

City are attempting to get rid of the league’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, which, in a 165 page legal document, they argue are unlawful, ‘discriminatory’ and were brought in by the ‘tyranny of the majority’.

The rules were introduced in December 2021 soon after the Saudi Arabia-led takeover of Newcastle and prevent clubs from inflating commercial deals with companies linked to their owners, effectively allowing them to spend an unlimited amount on transfers and improving infrastructure.

Since 2008, City have been run by the Abu Dhabi United Group, owned by Sheikh Mansour, a member of the United Arab Emirates’ royal family.

Man City owner and Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Photo: Getty)

While they are not the only club to use sponsors closely linked with their owners, they are by far the most notable, with four of their top ten sponsors having ties to the UAE, including stadium and shirt sponsor Etihad Airways.

Additionally, Pep Guardiola’s side are suing for damages and are arguing that the system by which Premier League clubs vote for rule changes is broken.

Implementing changes currently requires a two-thirds majority (14 out of the 20).

What will happen if they win?

If they win their claim, clubs will no longer have to have their sponsorship deals independently assessed and approved, thus theoretically allowing them to pump as much money into the club as possible without breaking financial fair play rules.

Rival clubs fear this will irreparably damage the competitiveness of the Premier League, with state-owned clubs like City and Newcastle able to spend far greater than anyone else.

UAE owned Etihad Airways are major sponsors of Man City (Photo: Getty)

The remaining 19 clubs have been invited to take part in the legal process, with at least half stepping forward to aid the Premier League’s case, while one has sided with City.

Nevertheless, there is fear that the Citizens will win having spared no expense on their legal team.

When will the hearing take place and how long will it last?

The dispute will be settled in a private arbitration hearing which will begin on Monday, 10 June.

It is expected to last two weeks.

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A separate hearing into the 115 charges will take place in November and will last six weeks.

What impact will this have on Man City’s 115 charges?

City were charged with breaking financial rules over a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018 but have always strongly denied any wrongdoing.

While separate cases, the first hearing will have a huge impact on the second, as if they win, it will damage the case against them with sponsorship deals linked to the UAE a fundamental part of the alleged breaches.

Even if they lose, the Premier League is being forced to invest heavily in their legal team for the June hearing, potentially diverting attention away from the November one.

Should City be found guilty of breaching FFP rules, they could face fines, points deductions or relegation.

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