That answer has now been given, with the tribunal saying: “The three respects in which the APT rules and amended APT rules were unlawful cannot be severed with the result that the APT rules as a whole are void and unenforceable.”.
If the new rules are also adjudged to be unenforceable it will almost certainly occasion a crisis of confidence in the league’s ability to function, at the same time as the verdict on the 130 disciplinary charges brought against City is anticipated, and plans for an independent regulator for the game come close to completion in parliament.
The league has authorised a new set of APT rules in the interim and those rules are not directly affected by the judgment.
“The new APT rules are in full force and clubs remain required to comply with all aspects of the system, including to submit shareholder loans to the Premier League for fair market value assessment.”.
Manchester City have struck a substantial blow in their battle against the Premier League, after a tribunal ruled that the entirety of the original rules related to associated party transactions (APTs) were “void and unenforceable”.
