Man City and Premier League Resolve Dispute Over APT Rules

Manchester City and the Premier League have reached an agreement to “end” a legal dispute related to the league’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules.The agreement came after the club accepted the validity of the current rules.Both Manchester City and the Premier League issued statements simultaneously on Monday, informing that they had “agreed to end the proceedings”.

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This agreement is separate from the hearing regarding the 115 charges brought against the club, owned by Abu Dhabi, for alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations.The hearing on the 115 charges, which City denies, was overseen by a three-person panel between September and December 2024.A verdict has not been reached yet.In a separate case, City had filed a legal claim against the Premier League in February, arguing that the amended APT rules were illegal, following a 16-4 vote among the 20 Premier League clubs last November in favor of updating the rules to allow for greater scrutiny of clubs receiving loans from shareholders.APT rules are designed to prevent clubs from securing sponsorship deals from related parties that are not considered fair market value.Despite a long battle, both City and the Premier League have withdrawn legal action over the most recent amendment to the APT rules.

The Premier League and Manchester City FC have reached an agreement regarding the arbitration initiated by the club earlier this year in relation to the Premier League’s Associated Party Transactions (APT) Rules and, as a result, the parties have agreed to terminate the proceedings.

Joint Statement

In the statement, it was added:

This agreement ends the dispute between the parties regarding the APT Rules.

Joint Statement

As part of the agreement, Manchester City accepts that the current APT Rules are valid and binding.

Joint Statement

It has been agreed that neither the Premier League nor the club will make any further comments on the matter.

Joint Statement

The City will return to Premier League action on Sunday, facing Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola’s team looking to overcome their worst start to the season since 2005-06, after losing two of their first three matches.