Man City finds himself at the center of another legal battle, but this time, the challenge comes from outside England.
According to Sky SportsLiga president Javier Tebas has filed an official complaint with the European Commission, accusing the title champions of the Premier League aimed at raping the EU competition laws.
The complaint, which would have been submitted in 2023, alleged that City received financial support from the United Arab Emirates, giving them an unjust advantage on the European Transfers market. Tebas maintains that these subsidies allowed City to recruit high-level players and managers beyond what would be achievable under normal financial constraints.
The head of Spanish football Tebas also called for sanctions against City. He said (quotes via Renard Sports):
“We reported to Manchester City to the EU. Even if they are an English team and not being part of the EU, they still have commercial activities in Europe. We first filed the complaint in July 2023 and there are now regulations in place allowing the EU to examine companies like City Football Group.
“There are two aspects. The first is to check that Manchester City does not use other companies to deceive the system. The second element is a greater battle to prevent football from ending up in the hands of public entities without appropriate police.
“Our case against Manchester City concerns two things. We are with some of the prices that the club has paid. And we wonder who the club can sow losses on other related companies that are not directly part of the city’s football group. »»
“I can’t speak to Manchester City sanctions yet on this. All I can say is when a company in Europe, in general, is considered to be distorted the market, it must often return funds. We want Manchester City to be sanctioned.
“The case is currently in the investigation phase. We haven’t had an answer yet. Remember that the EU has a lot of cases. »»
Manchester City, however, has strongly refuted these claims, saying that their financial operations are fully in accordance with all regulations.
Man City continues to be entangled in legal issues
This is not the first time that City has been under examination for financial issues. In 2020, the Arbitration Court for Sport (CAS) canceled UEFA’s decision to impose a European ban of two years on the club, judging that punishment was unjustified.
The Premier League champions are also also faced with a separate investigation after being accused of 115 financial violations presumed by the first English flight. A verdict on this case is expected in the coming months, with serious potential consequences, in particular fines, deductions of points or even revocations of the historical title if they are recognized as guilty.
In addition to that, City recently launched a legal action against the Premier League concerning its rules of transaction of associated parties (APT), a case which they finally won.
In addition, Real Valladolid of the Liga club recently accused City of having exploited their young defender Júsuf Demir, and threatened them with legal action.
The struggles on the ground add to the misfortunes of Man City
While City continues to fight legal problems behind the scenes, their performance on the field has also slowed down this season.
The Pep Guardiola team has already been eliminated from the Champions League before the 16 -year -old final and has undergone an early exit in the Carabao Cup.
In the Premier League, City is out of the title race, and is currently in fourth place, fighting for a top 4, far from their usual domination.
While City continues to browse judicial disputes, the outcome of the latter dispute could have long -term impact for the future of the club in European football.
