Manchester City’s legal victory over the Premier League highlights the absurdity of it all | OneFootball

Manchester City’s legal victory over the Premier League is currently dominating the headlines and discussion. Matt Lawton reported for the Times yesterday that the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction rules that were enforced between 2021-2024 were declared void and unenforceable by the independent panel that reviewed the case. That in itself is the entire story. As was the case October last year when a section of the Premier League’s APT rules were found to be unlawful. From that point on that is the story. But what has followed from yesterday’s announcement highlights the absurdity of it all.

It does seem that following yesterday’s announcement the Premier League has missed the point once again. The Premier League followed this pattern in October. Instead of waiting for the independent panel’s findings, they pushed ahead with an amended set of APT rules. Now they remain in limbo to find out if they are now lawful and enforceable. It’s absurd that the Premier League can keep putting itself in this position. It appears to be digging fresh holes for itself. You only have to read the statement they released after yesterday’s findings were released. It almost mirrors the behaviour of a child who hasn’t gotten their own way. That’s an absurd action from the Premier League. They shouldn’t have found themselves in this position to begin with. But here they are.

Manchester City never pushed to ‘destroy English football’ or anything that spectacular. They sought to challenge the legality of the Premier League’s APT rules. It was a battle that City were right about all along. The questions should always have been about the Premier League’s APT rules being lawful. Not about City’s intentions. That’s the absurd part of the entire affair.