Manchester City is suing the Premier League as the bitter battle takes a new turn

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Manchester City have decided to sue the Premier League in an “unprecedented” legal battle.

There will be a two-week private arbitration hearing starting on Monday, the Times reported, with City seeking to end the league’s related party transaction (APT) rules and seek damages from the Premier League.

The regulations surrounding the upcoming trial relate to laws introduced following Newcastle’s takeover by Saudi Arabia in December 2021 to prevent clubs from receiving highly inflated trade offers with corporations linked to the club’s ownership. Currently, four of the club’s top 10 sponsors have ties to the United Arab Emirates, including Etihad Airways.

The Times reported that the City is arguing against the laws, citing itself as victims of “discrimination” in a 165-page legal document. City reportedly submitted their application on February 16.

Other Premier League clubs were invited to take part as the club accused rivals of approving the laws in part to affect their success on the pitch and “discriminating against Gulf ownership” as the rules came in after Newcastle’s takeover.

The league has a specific system that needs at least two-thirds (or 14 clubs) to implement rule changes.

City are embroiled in another legal battle, with a separate hearing due to take place in November, into the club’s alleged 115 breaches of Premier League and Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

These include failing to provide accurate financial information and accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons and breaches of Premier League and Uefa financial rules. Some of the charges relate to failing to co-operate with Premier League investigations into the matter between 2018 and 2023.

All allegations have been strongly denied by the club since they were first announced when the investigation began in 2018.

The hearing in November is expected to last six weeks and could lead to repercussions in the form of fines, banned points or further sanctions for Pep Guardiola’s side.