• Loading stock data...
Monday, September 15, 2025
One Day till Tuned In! Get a Last Second Ticket!

Manchester City and Premier League Both Claim Victory in Major Panel Ruling

  • A panel found some Premier League financial rules were ‘unlawful.’
  • Both club and league called the panel’s ruling favorable.
Kyle Robertson-USA TODAY Sports

Manchester City won a narrow victory against the English Premier League last month in a ruling that was released to its clubs and the public Monday.

An arbitration panel of retired judges ruled that some Premier League rules blocking City from doing sponsorship deals with companies that had shared ownership with teams were “unlawful.”

However, it was a highly technical ruling that saw both Manchester City and the Premier League issue statements Monday declaring victory in the case. The ruling is from a separate panel than the one hearing the league’s 115 financial charges against City, although the sponsorship deals play heavily into those charges. (In 2018, Der Spiegel reported City’s owners fudged its books by hiding the true worth of its sponsorship deals with companies with the same owners.)

The Premier League bylaws governing sponsorship deals are called the Associated Party Transaction rules, and City asked for the APT system to be thrown out entirely. The panel did not do so.

It did rule that:

  • The league was wrong to block City’s sponsorship deals with Abu Dhabi–owned Etihad Airways and First Etihad Bank.
  • The APT system as a whole was legal, but how the league heard challenges to rulings in the system was “procedurally unfair.”
  • The APT rules were “unlawful” to “exclude from their scope shareholder loans.” Loans from ownership to team operations are widespread in the Premier League and sports generally.
  • It added that “for no other reason” were the APT rules illegal.

The complex ruling had both sides thanking the arbitration panel.

“The Premier League welcomes the Tribunal’s findings, which endorsed the overall objectives, framework and decision-making of the APT system,” the league said in a statement. “The Tribunal upheld the need for the APT system as a whole and rejected the majority of Manchester City’s challenges. Moreover, the Tribunal found that the Rules are necessary in order for the League’s financial controls to be effective.”

That’s one way to spin it. The other was how Manchester City reacted. “The Club has succeeded with its claim: the Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules have been found to be unlawful and the Premier League’s decisions on two specific MCFC sponsorship transactions have been set aside,” it said in a lengthy statement on its website. “The Premier League was found to have abused its dominant position.”

The team has been the leading power in English soccer since Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates’ sovereign wealth fund purchased it in 2008. City has won the league four years in a row and six of the last seven years. Its detractors—and the Premier League’s 115 charges—argue that City won those laurels by buying an expensive, star-studded roster in ways that broke Premier League financial rules. One Premier League owner told Front Office Sports in August that he believes the trial—still ongoing in London—will end with the Citizens being relegated.

Some English media reports have speculated the ruling could mean that teams like Arsenal and Brighton, which rely heavily on shareholder loans, could be in trouble. Arsenal was among the teams that gave evidence for the Premier League in front of the arbitration panel. It’s possible, although it seems unlikely, that the ruling means ownership loans to teams will now have to charge commercial interest rates instead of the low- or zero-interest-rate loans some owners make now.

City has no debt to its owners, while, for example, the Kroenkes have loaned Arsenal hundreds of millions of dollars at little interest. In front of the arbitration panel, City said that “such loans are obviously APTs” and no different than City’s sponsorship deals. The panel agreed.

The league introduced the APT rules in 2021 after Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund bought Newcastle United, an attempt to curb the influence of the billions of dollars of Gulf oil money flowing into English soccer. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Michelle Wu

Josh Kraft, Son of Patriots Owner, Leaves Boston Mayor Race After First-Round..

He challenged Mayor Wu over her support for White Stadium’s costly renovations.

UEFA Delays Overseas Matches Ruling As LaLiga Miami Game Looms

Barcelona-Villarreal is scheduled for late December at Hard Rock Stadium.

Dexter Fowler Wants to Change the Narrative on Athlete Ownership

The former MLB All-Star owns a stake in Premier League team Bournemouth.
[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Real Madrid CF forward Kylian Mbappe (9) reacts after a semifinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium.

CVC Builds Out Sports Division Amid Crowded PE Market

The firm’s sports portfolio is reportedly worth $13.6 billion.

Featured Today

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
Sep 14, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) gestures to a teammate after scoring against the Seattle Storm in the first quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Aces Surge From Collapse to Contention With Dynasty at Stake

The turnaround started after a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
September 14, 2025

Most NFL Home Teams Opt to Honor Charlie Kirk Before Games

Several NFL teams playing at home on Sunday recognized the late activist. Some did not.
September 15, 2025

Tush Push Debate Heats Up in Eagles Win, Ex-NFL Rules Chief Sounds..

The Eagles are continuing to run the quarterback-sneak play.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 14, 2025

Crawford-Alvarez Bout Draws Biggest Crowd in Vegas Boxing History

Record attendance, a big gate, and growing ambitions mark the high-profile bout.
September 14, 2025

Low-Payroll Brewers Buck the Math, Clinch First MLB Playoff Berth

Milwaukee continues to defy its market size and economic constraints.
Premier Lacrosse League
September 14, 2025

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles past Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) in the second half at Target Center.
September 12, 2025

As WNBA Grows, Engelbert Says Its Playoff Field Won’t for a While

Eight of thirteen WNBA teams made the playoffs this year.