The Premier League has reportedly broken out into an ‘open civil war’, with clubs supposedly left surprised by the tone of an email from Manchester City’s general counsel Simon Cliff.
The champions declared victory after launching a legal challenge to the APT rules earlier this year on grounds that they have breached competition law.
An arbitration panel found the rules, which are designed to ensure commercial deals with those linked to a club’s owners are fair and valued appropriately, were unlawful because of how they excluded shareholder loans.
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Following the ruling, Cliff wrote an email to all 19 other outfits declaring that the Premier League’s statement on the matter was ‘misleading’ and contained ‘inaccuracies’.
According to The Independent, the Premier League does not believe this to be the case and they are open to ‘quickly amending’ their rules in the upcoming meetings, with the first taking place next Thursday.
Clubs will discuss three outcomes during the meeting, with the situation now ‘seriously escalating’. City’s email to other teams has only intensified the situation further, especially due to Cliff’s threat of further legal action being taken.
He wrote: “Such an unwise course would be likely to lead to further legal proceedings with further legal costs. It is critical for member clubs to feel that they can have trust in their regulator.”
The comments have ‘infuriated’ a number of clubs, with others feeling ‘surprised’ by the action that City are being forced to take.
Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton have acted as witnesses for Pep Guardiola’s side at this stage, with Manchester United, Arsenal, Brighton, Tottenham and West Ham among those offering witness testimony for the Premier League.
Thursday’s meeting on potential amendments will not be definitive, with any proposed changes then discussed further by the Premier League’s financial group and then its legal advisory group before a final vote is conducted.
City are expected to oppose any changes that would rule out backdated market value tests on shareholder loans.
Talks will take place behind closed doors once again, though the saga has played out very publicly nonetheless in what is a cause for concern for several clubs. Some feel that the Premier League’s reputation is being damaged by the ‘toxic’ nature of the situation.
