Man City launch legal action over financial rules

Manchester City are owed to look nan Premier League successful a ineligible conflict complete nan organisation’s commercialized rules adjacent week.

BBC Sport understands an arbitration proceeding surrounding nan legality of nan league’s associated statement transaction (APT) rules, which find whether sponsorship deals are financially ‘fair’, has been group for 10-21 June.

In February, BBC Sport reported nan Premier League was being threatened pinch ineligible action complete changes to its rules.

It has been disclosed to nan remaining Premier League clubs that City are nan nine successful question, pinch nan convention offering nan remaining 19 members nan opportunity to make witnesser statements arsenic portion of nan case.

Neither nan Premier League nor Manchester City person responded to requests for a remark connected nan case.

However, The Times, external says it has seen a 165-page ineligible archive successful which City declare they are victims of "discrimination", that nan amended rules were approved by rivals to "stifle" their occurrence connected nan pitch, and telephone it "a tyranny of nan majority".

Last period City became nan first nine successful English shot history to triumph nan convention title successful 4 consecutive seasons.

The move comes a matter of months earlier a Premier League disciplinary committee will perceive complete 100 charges against City for breaching its financial regulations, immoderate of which day backmost to 2009.

Some of those charges subordinate to amounts paid to City by sponsors linked to Abu Dhabi.

The caller rules astir sponsorship deals were agreed earlier this twelvemonth by nan required minimum 14 clubs.

At nan time, nan Premier League said nan move would "enhance nan ratio and accuracy of nan system".

The Times study that successful summation to nan situation to nan rules, City are besides claiming damages.