Manchester City legal team braced for ‘some form of victory’ in Premier League sponsorship rules battle | OneFootball

The legal team representing Manchester City in their battle with the Premier League over sponsorship rules are expecting ‘some form of victory’ in the case.

Officials from within Manchester City launched an unprecedented legal action against the Premier League earlier this year, in a move that some outlets described as having ‘sparked civil war’ in English football’s top-flight.

A two-week hearing is understood to have taken place, with some Premier League clubs providing evidence for Manchester City and others for the top-flight, into whether the existing Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules were unlawful.

From the side of Manchester City, it has also been widely reported that the four-time-in-a-row champions of the division were also seeking damages from the Premier League as a result of the impact of APT rules on the organisation.

Now, as many within the game are bracing for the start of the hearing over Manchester City’s 115 charges issued by the Premier League, the situation surrounding the Etihad club’s battle against the division appears to be approaching an end.

That is according to the information of The Times’ Martyn Ziegler and Matt Lawton, who reveal that a verdict on Manchester City’s case against sponsorship rules in the Premier League is due before the end of September.

In a huge boost for the Premier League champions, the report reveals that sources have suggested the hearing went well for Manchester City’s legal team and expect them to score ‘some form of victory’ in the case.

On the subject of Manchester City’s separate battle with the Premier League over their 115 charges, the matter has now been long-standing for over a year, having first been issued with the charges back in February 2023.

Following a four-year investigation, the Premier League also referred Manchester City to an independent commission over alleged rule breaches between 2009 and 2018, whilst also accusing the club of not co-operating since the investigation started in December 2018.

In direct response to the matter at the time, and a stance that the club have maintained, Manchester City said they were “surprised” by the charges and are supported by a “body of irrefutable evidence”.

The hearing into Manchester City’s 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules will begin on Monday 16 September.