Aston Villa write letter to 18 Premier League clubs issuing support for Manchester City in sponsorship rules battle | OneFootball

Manchester City have received unwavering support from Premier League rivals Aston Villa on the subject of associated party transaction (APT) rules this week.

The move from Villa Park comes after Manchester City themselves had written to the 19 other top-flight clubs expressing “fundamental concern” over “unlawful” amendments the Premier League had proposed to rules governing commercial deals.

City said earlier this month that the league was “rushing through its consultation process”, and that their “strong desire is to avoid any future costly legal disputes”, adding it is “critical that the Premier League gets it right this time round”.

Now, as the Premier League gears up to face its clubs over proposals surrounding amendments to APT rules on Friday, Manchester City have been boosted by public support emerging from Aston Villa.

According to the information of The Telegraph, Aston Villa have rallied behind Manchester City in the ongoing associated-party transaction (APT) row by writing to Premier League clubs “strongly recommending” Friday’s vote is postponed.

The report reveals that three arguments have been raised by Villa as the club suggest a postponement: fresh potential legal challenges, ongoing uncertainties around the tribunal’s findings, and further changes to rules after the introduction of the independent regulator.

In a follow-up interview with the same newspaper, Aston Villa’s owner Nassef Sawiris also confirmed that the club will be voting against the Premier League’s proposed associated-party transaction (APT) rules.

Back in October, both the Premier League and Manchester City claimed victory after the decision of an arbitration panel over APT rules, with the Etihad club having some of their complaints upheld by the panel.

It was confirmed that two aspects of APT rules had been deemed unlawful by the tribunal, who stated that low-interest shareholder loans should not be excluded from the rules, and that changes made in February to toughen regulations breached competition law.

In light of the decision being made public, Manchester City publicly stated the rules were “void”, and criticised the Premier League’s “misleading” claim that they could be amended quickly, threatening additional legal action in the event of any “knee-jerk reaction”.