Manchester City has fully won the APT case, with the Premier League found in violation of EU competition law

According to an official statement from Manchester City, the club has fully won its case regarding the Related Party Transactions (APT) matter, with the Premier League found in violation of EU competition law.

The APT regulations, formally known as the Related Party Transactions rules, were introduced in December 2021 after the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund purchased Newcastle United. These rules aim to limit large sponsorship deals between clubs and their owners or related parties to ensure fairness in the transfer market.

In early 2023, Manchester City was accused of breaching over 100 financial fair play rules in the Premier League, with their conduct from 2009 to 2018 undergoing a four-year investigation. Manchester City argued that the APT rules were illegal.

Manchester City successfully countersued, and the APT rules were deemed unlawful. The Premier League's appeals concerning two specific sponsorship deals involving Manchester City were overturned. The arbitration court ruled that both the original and revised APT rules violated the UK's Competition Act and procedural fairness. The Premier League was found to have abused its dominant position, and the court determined that the structure of these rules was fundamentally unfair and that applying them to the club was even more unjust.

Previously, Everton and Nottingham Forest were both docked points for breaching profit and sustainability rules, while Leicester City won their appeal.