Premier League: former Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules deemed "unenforceable"

"The arbitration tribunal's decision has found that the three narrow aspects of the old APT (Associated Party Transaction) rules, previously found to be unlawful, cannot be separated from the rest of the previous rules as a matter of law. The result, the tribunal has determined, is that the previous APT rules, as a whole, are unenforceable," announced the Premier League on 14/02/2025.

This independent tribunal had issued a decision dated 25/09/2024 in the context of an appeal by Manchester City FC against the League's rules on associated party transactions. The club, owned by City Football Group, had challenged the legality, framework and implementation of the APT rules. While the League welcomed the arbitration, which approved the objectives, framework and decision-making process for the APT rules, Manchester City, who lost the majority of their appeal, were pleased to win on several points.

The rules were first introduced in December 2021, two months after the acquisition of Newcastle United FC by a group of investors led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), and then…