Man City and Premier League both claim victory after decision on APT rules

Manchester City and the Premier League have both claimed victory after the champions challenged the league’s rules on commercial deals.

City launched a legal action against the associated party transaction (APT) rules earlier this year on the grounds they were anti-competitive.

The Premier League said on Monday afternoon City were “unsuccessful in the majority of (their) challenge” and that the tribunal had determined the APT rules were necessary and pursued a legitimate objective.

The APT rules are designed to ensure commercial deals with entities linked to a club’s owners are done for fair market value.

City released a statement saying the tribunal had declared the APT rules “unlawful” and that the league had abused a dominant position under competition law.